Articles From June 2019

Old hedgerow

Hedgerows

Posted in Farm on Sunday 2nd June 2019 at 11:11am

The photo, some might say, is uninteresting or just “green” but look below the surface and there is a wealth of interesting plants, habitats and history. The majority of our boundaries are Devon banks, a double stone-faced bank with a hedge growing up from the middle. These Devon banks/hedges are very important as wildlife habitats as they are species-rich in flowering plants, insects, birds and mammals. From the name of our farm, Old Walls, it is also obvious that they have historic value too in agriculture for livestock containment, livestock shelter from wind, control of soil erosion and surface runoff. They also provide timber when they have been layed after many years of growth without trimming. As a casual observer I have noted Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Gorse, Hazel, Ash, Holly, brambles, wild strawberries, violets, dandelions, docks, stitchwort, celandines, ferns, bluebells, foxgloves, red campion … this list goes on and I haven’t even started on the birds, bugs and mammals!