Hedge restoration R J Simmons

Jim Simmons secured  £18,197.80 to restore two hedgerows, one beside a road and one running alongside a public footpath, by laying them. Laid hedges provide a stock proof barrier, safe travel corridors and a dense habitat for a wide range of wildlife. A further part of the project was to create a ‘dead hedge’ along a scrub line at the top of a field to help prevent visitors from straying off designated rights of way and onto productive arable land, protecting farm income and operations. Some of the scrub has been coppiced back to re-establish the original field boundary, which will allow much of the plants to regrow in time.

Dead hedges provide hiding places and nesting habitats for all sorts of creatures, as well as food for insects. They can also provide an effective, natural way to guide people along the correct paths. Constructed using materials sourced from across the farm, the dead hedge can be regularly topped up and will gradually break down, enriching the soil over time.

These works are the most recent in a series of projects across the farm over the last few years to improve biodiversity, showcase heritage craft skills and involve volunteers in countryside activities.