Structure of county’s hedges mean they do not get same protection as those elsewhere

The Cornish hedge – teeming with flora and fauna and one of the most beloved features of the landscape in the far south-west of Britain – is under threat from developers, conservationists are warning.

Some Cornish hedges are believed to be more than 4,000 years old, making them among the oldest human-built structures in Britain.

Unfortunately, because the Cornish hedge has such a distinctive structure – consisting typically of earth and stone with trees or bushes growing out of the top – it does not necessarily receive the same protection in law afforded to conventional hedgerows across England and Wales.

The Cornwall Wildlife Trust has raised concern that precious hedges are being lost when housing estates or industrial sites are built and Cornwall council is asking the UK government to help it save the hedges.

Cheryl Marriott, head of conservation at the trust, said many miles of Cornish hedges had already vanished. “They are a vital element of our landscape,” she said. “They are being lost primarily to developments such as big housing or industrial estates.”

There are about 30,000 miles of hedges in Cornwall. In the east of the county they are more likely to have shrubs on the top; in the windswept, weather-battered far west, they may consist only of earth and hefty stones.

But all types of Cornish hedge are rich in plant and animal life. At this time of year many, especially in the east and south, are a riot of colour. They are important wildlife corridors for hedgehogs, adders, harvest mice and bats. The more austere-looking ones in the far west are an important habitat for invertebrates and reptiles who live in the nooks and crannies.

Marriott said the trust had a map of all the hedges. “Every 10 years we look at how many have been lost,” she said. Between 1995 and 2005, almost 100 miles of hedge disappeared.

The trust is in the process of working out what happened between 2005 and 2015. “We’re still losing them,” said Marriott. “It’s not like planting a normal new hedgerow, which can be fairly cheap. It costs about £100 a metre to build a Cornish hedge. Not many people are putting them in.”

It is not all doom and gloom. The problem is being recognised and projects are under way to try to save the current network and restore hedges that have gone.

To mark the diamond jubilee this year of Cornwall being an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), under a scheme called Kerdroya, master hedgers are training up a network of “hedge stewards”. They aim to restore and rebuild 11 hedges that will form a Cornwall-wide trail.

Cornwall council explains clearly on its website the regulations around Cornish hedges and why some may not have the protection many feel they merit.

Under the Hedgerows Regulations 1997, it is against the law to remove most countryside hedges in England and Wales without the permission of the relevant local council.

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But the regulations relate to a “hedgerow” – a row of trees or shrubs. The website says: “Cornish hedges in their great variety do not always meet this definition. The hedge or field boundary is generally a bank constructed with or without stone. On top of this there may be a hedgerow.

“The regulations only apply where there is a hedgerow, although a recent appeal case in Cornwall suggests that they do apply if the hedge is capable of having a hedgerow. The situation is not clear and landowners are advised to check with the planning service if they are considering removing a hedge.”

So seriously does the council take the plight of the Cornish hedge, it appears in its New Frontiers plan, created to address the challenges that would face the county in a post-Brexit world. The council says it would like the freedom to “develop and utilise an alternative system for the protection of Cornish hedges”.

The council said: “Cornish hedges are an important part of the landscape and history as well as home to a wide variety of plants and animals. The council is committed to protecting them as part of our unique and distinctive environment and heritage. The circumstances under which they are allowed to be removed are usually exceptional and we provide advice and guidance on their conservation and management.”