Hedgerow Management in North Lancashire and the Lune Valley — Getting It Right

The hedgerows of the Lune Valley and North Lancashire are worth paying attention to. Drive through the countryside between Lancaster and Kirkby Lonsdale, along the lanes of the Arnside and Silverdale AONB, or through the farming country north of Garstang towards Cumbria, and you are passing through a landscape of genuinely old, species-rich hedgerows that are a direct link to the agricultural history of this part of the north-west.

Some of these hedgerows date back to the medieval period or earlier. The Hedgerow Survey Handbook, which sets out the method for assessing whether a hedgerow qualifies for legal protection under the Hedgerow Regulations 1997, uses a species count as one of the primary indicators of age. The general principle, known as Hooper's Rule, is that the number of woody species found in a thirty-metre length of hedgerow broadly correlates to its age, with one species added per hundred years approximately. A hedgerow with six or seven woody species in a thirty-metre sample may be five or six hundred years old.

We manage hedgerows across North Lancashire and the Lune Valley as part of our work for farming clients, estate managers and rural landowners, and the variety of what we encounter is considerable. This guide covers the key principles of good hedgerow management in this part of the world.

Legal Requirements for Hedgerow Management

Before touching a hedgerow in North Lancashire or Cumbria, it is worth being clear on two sets of legal requirements that apply regardless of who owns the land.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to disturb, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. The main nesting season runs from approximately March to August, though some species nest earlier and later. Cutting hedgerows during the active nesting season without first checking for nests carries a real risk of committing an offence. We always carry out a pre-cut check for active nests before any hedgerow work during the risk period.

The Hedgerow Regulations 1997 protect significant hedgerows from removal without prior notification to the local planning authority. A hedgerow qualifies for protection if it is at least thirty years old and meets certain ecological or historical criteria. Removal of a protected hedgerow without notification is an offence. Note that the regulations apply to removal, not to cutting or management, so routine annual trimming is not affected by the notification requirement.

For hedgerows on agricultural land in agri-environment schemes including Countryside Stewardship, specific management prescriptions will apply under the scheme agreement and must be followed, including prescribed cutting dates and widths.

Best Timing for Hedgerow Cutting in the Lune Valley and North Lancashire

The best time to cut most agricultural hedgerows in our area is late summer to early autumn, after the nesting season has finished and before the berry crop has been fully consumed by wildlife. August and September are the most practical window for most situations, balancing wildlife considerations with the farming calendar.

February and March cutting is also possible where the nesting risk is lower, particularly for established, dense hedgerows where pre-cut nest checks are carried out. However, cutting in February removes the berry crop that would otherwise feed overwintering birds through the hardest part of the winter, and we generally advise prioritising late summer cutting where the farming calendar allows it.

Cutting every year, which is the default for many farm hedgerow management programmes, is not necessarily the best approach for hedgerow condition. Research consistently shows that hedgerows cut every two or three years on rotation produce more flower and berry than those cut annually, and that allowing occasional years of free growth before cutting back produces a denser, more structurally complex hedgerow. Countryside Stewardship prescriptions typically require a minimum cutting interval of two years for this reason.

Height and Width

Hedgerow management that consistently cuts to the same height and width year after year tends to produce a hedge that is gradually getting smaller rather than one that is growing and thickening. Each cut removes the growth of the previous year and the hedge moves inward slightly, so that over decades the hedge becomes narrower, thinner at the base, and increasingly bare lower down.

Allowing a hedgerow to grow in height and width for a period before cutting back more substantially, sometimes called a letting-go cycle, builds structural density and encourages the base of the hedge to thicken up. For hedgerows that have become gappy and thin at the base, a combination of cutting back harder at the top while leaving the base growth for a season or two can begin to restore a better structure.

Reading the Hedgerow — Species That Tell a Story

Part of what makes hedgerow management interesting, at least to those who spend time in them, is what the plant community of a hedgerow tells you about its history. A few species are particularly informative for hedgerows in North Lancashire and the Lune Valley.

Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) is a reliable indicator of old, unimproved hedgerow on base-rich soils, particularly on the limestone and calcareous glacial soils of the Lune Valley and the Arnside area. It is uncommon in younger hedgerows and absent from most agricultural hedgerows planted since the mid-twentieth century. If you have spindle in your hedgerow, you probably have a hedge of some age.

Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) is similarly a species of old hedgerows and woodland edges, producing white flower heads followed by spectacular red berries in autumn that are an important food source for bullfinches and other birds. Not uncommon in North Lancashire hedgerows on wetter soils.

Dog rose (Rosa canina) and field rose (Rosa arvensis) are both common in North Lancashire hedgerows and add considerable wildlife value through their flowers and hips. Blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, elder, ash, crab apple and wild privet are other characteristic species of old hedgerows across the area.

A hedgerow with ten or more woody species in a thirty-metre sample may qualify as a Category A hedgerow under the Hedgerow Regulations and cannot be removed without notification. If you are uncertain about the status of a hedgerow on your land, it is worth carrying out a species count before making any management decisions.

Hedge Laying in the Lune Valley

Hedge laying, the traditional practice of partially cutting and weaving the stems of a hedge to produce a dense, stock-proof barrier, is still practised in parts of North Lancashire and the Lune Valley, and the Cumbrian and Lancashire styles of hedge laying are distinct regional traditions with their own characteristics. A well-laid hedge will provide better stock-proof coverage than a cut hedge and will last for many years before needing attention again.

We carry out hedge laying for agricultural and estate clients across the Lune Valley, Kirkby Lonsdale and North Lancashire areas. If you have a hedgerow that has become gappy or overgrown and you are considering restoration, hedge laying is worth discussing as an alternative to straightforward cutting.

Get Hedgerow Management Advice in North Lancashire and the Lune Valley

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