Hedgerow & Wildlife. A Guide to Animals and Plants of the Hedgerow; National Trust Books, 2008

Hedgerows are one of the richest sources of wildlife in Britain. They have evolved over centuries (18th and 19th centuries predominantly but some date from pre-Roman times), and their importance is still vital today.

Hedgerows are one of the richest sources of wildlife in Britain. They have evolved over centuries (18th and 19th centuries predominantly but some date from pre-Roman times), and their importance is still vital today. This book offers an insight into hedgerow wildlife: how they developed (and are managed by man), how to identify different types, and what plants, birds, insects and small mammals can be found inside.

A mixed hedge may contain species such as elder, blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, crab apple and field maple, is a refuge for wildlife: tortoiseshell and cabbage white butterflies; linnets, wrens, dunnocks, blackbirds and chaffinches; bank voles and badgers. The plant life is equally as rich: the rose, honeysuckle, primrose, garlic mustard and the hedge woundwort.

This quintessential part of the English landscape can be enjoyed all the more with this little guide to the wildlife wonders inside the hedgerows.