Biography
Who planted the first hedges, and what were they for? What has been their fate in the modern era?
The Basics
Hedges are a way of marking the boundaries of a tract of land or piece of property. As such, they date back to the Bronze Age. Archaeological excavations have unearthed Roman hedges, and we know that they were in use to mark off ownership of land in the Saxon era too.
History of the Hedge
They are the cause of mammoth disputes between neighbours, and the scene of a good garden gossip, but the humble hedge has also helped create the look of the English countryside. It is an interesting story, shaped by human interference.
