Hedge Britannia: A Curious History of a British ObsessionThis is the story of how British hedgerows contribute to our national identity and our wildlife. Over the centuries we have proved ourselves to be a nation of hedge growers, marking boundaries or trimming them into fantastical creations. From formal garden features to emphatically rustic barriers, Hugh explores our hedges in all their diversity. Hedge Britannia offers a witty insight into the history of hedges and the way they relate to our culture as well as our landscape. Hugh travels the breadth of Britain meeting fellow enthusiasts who range from horticultural experts to the Brixton man who lovingly cultivated a whale-shaped hedge and ran into trouble with the local council. As well as two full-colour plate sections, there are case studies about hedges of particular note, like the towering Meikleour beech hedge, the castellated hedge and spectacular topiary at Levens Hall and the bamboozling hedge maze at Chatsworth (where Hugh got predictably and happily lost). Both pithy and informative, this is The Cloudspotter's Guide meets Flora Britannica. |
Contents
1 | |
Roots | 15 |
Growth and Conservation | 179 |
Quarrelsome Neighbours | 187 |
Private Property | 205 |
Hedges and Snobbery | 221 |
Irregular | 245 |
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Common terms and phrases
agricultural ancient areas assart assart hedges banks barrier beautiful became become beech billhook birds boundary Britain Castle Castle Vale century clipped common land coppiced Cornish Cornwall cottage council countryside created cultivated define dense ditches dog roses Doggerland early enclosed enclosures England English estates farmers farming feel fences fields final find fine first five flourish flowers forest formal garden garden hedge Gerrard Winstanley green ground grow growth hawthorn Hedge Garden hedgelayers hedgelaying hedgelike objects hedgerows Hemingford Grey high hedges holly hornbeam instance Iohn Ireland labour landowners landscape Levens Hall leylandii line of trees live look maze modern Monks Wood nature neighbours Neolithic Norman Yoke ornamental ownership parterres patterns period pleachers preserve protect result Roman rural hedgerows shape shrubs significant species specific started style survived tend topiary towns traditional urban villages walk walls wild wildwood woodland