Hedgerow history - Gerry Barnes

Oxbow says:
For many years hedges have been the most common field boundary in rural Britain, providing a stock-proof barrier,
a field boundary and a haven for wildlife. Despite this, they are
rarely studied in any detail in landscape archaeology. The
authors of
Hedgerow History
rightly argue that hedges, as an essential feature of the landscape, their origins and
development, are as worthy of study as any other part of the
landscape. Their book focuses on the species content and
diversity of hedges, how these came about and how they changed
over time. The introduction provides the background to hedges in
Britain, the development of field boundaries, changes in fields
and farming, especially the impact of enclosure, hedgerow
management, and methods of dating hedges. In an attempt to
evaluate the pioneering work of Hooper and Pollard in the 1960s
and 1970s, and gain insights into the diversity of hedges and the
possible human and animal reasons for it, Barnes and Williamson
carried out a detailed survey of hedgerows in Norfolk. Finding 61
shrub species among the Norfolk hedgerows, they attempt to tie
this data in with evidence on geology, soils, climate, woodland,
enclosure, farming practices and historical factors, as an
indicator of the processes of continuity and change that have
taken place in the wider landscape.