Hedge Britannia: A curious history of a British obsession

by Hugh Barker

Celebrating the history and the glory of the British hedgerow.

Hedge enthusiast Hugh Barker journeyed across Britain to explore its remarkable variety of gardens and hedgerows. He discovered how hedges are among our most ancient monuments, met hedge laying champions and topiary fanatics, and saw the lengths to which some people will go just to annoy the neighbours. Hugh explains how the garden hedge became associated with paradise, why the British army planted a barrier hedge hundreds of miles long in India, and how the notorious enclosures during the Industrial Revolution turned the country upside-down. Informative, revealing and anecdotal, it's a sweeping history of Britain as you've never seen it before.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Nature, Gardening, British Literature

336 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2012

Reviews

[Petra Fear ebooks may be edited for political ends]

Hedgerows still outline the shape of rural Britain, although coppicing - training trees and bushes into hedges - is becoming a very rare skill and new hedges tend to be of a single variety bush rather than a variety of trees, bushes and plants. Ancient hedgerows define history, some go back to the Enclosure Acts of the 16thC when the land surrounding villages was considered common land for farming and grazing animals. You can see where the ordinary people were dispossessed of their rights and their land was deeded to the nobles and those with influence. But politics aside, hedges are an ecological niche for many plants and animals.

Hedges are also good for annoying the neighbours. Untrimmed ones, ones that drop leaf litter, thorny ones, too-high ones. The ideal weapon for the passive aggressive person who has a grudge against the person next door! Of course, if that neighbour is more aggressive than passive, it can end up in court and then the hedge is doomed to be trimmed and costs will have to be paid. But still, that will be years away, and you can always start again.

[Laura]

From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the week:
Written by Hugh Barker. Read by Tim Key.

Hugh Barker, a hedge enthusiast, has journeyed across Britain to explore its remarkable variety of hedgerows.

The checkerboard pattern of lowland Britain as seen from the air reveals a history of boundaries and enclosures. The author's childhood weekends were spent contributing to this millennia old obsession for tidy borders by clipping the hedges of his parents suburban garden.

Over the course of his travels he discovers how hedges are amongst our most ancient monuments, meets hedgelaying champions and topiary fanatics, and sees the lengths to which some people will go to annoy the neighbours. Along the way he tells how a connection between paradise and the garden hedge grew up, why the British Army planted a barrier hedge hundreds of miles long in India, and how the notorious enclosures during the Industrial Revolution turned the country upside-down.

Abridged and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01hw6g3

[Paul]

One of classic quirky books that the British do best. Part gardening book, part history, part social history and written by a slightly mad author

[Stephen]

interesting book looking at hedges at the different types and how they have become part of the british way of life and how its a cultural and historical aspect to the hedges too and learnt a bit too

[Juliet Wilson]

Hedge Britannia examines the history of hedges in the United Kingdom, from their first origins in Roman times through their time as hated emblems of land privatisation during the Enclosures (particularly between 1750–1850) to their current status as ecological gems, seen as a type of linear woodland and hosting many species that are not often found elsewhere in our countryside. It is engagingly written and amply illustrated with photos, many of which are in full colour.

The author visits farmers, historians and scientists (including at the Monks Wood nature reserve which was originally an ecological research station with a particular interest in hedges) to study the role of hedges in various aspects of British life, from marking out field boundaries, to defining territories, to ornamental features of grand gardens (including mazes and topiary designs). We are given insights into the ancient art of hedge laying and some of the people working to continue this art in a world moving more and more to rough, mechanised ways of making hedges. We're also given a brief history of the art of topiary, forming hedges into decorative shapes, such as birds.

The author contemplates our love of hedges with this:

"Perhaps, deep down, we are still a bit scared of 'nature'? We like to use plants and trees for decorative purposes, but there is an ambivalence in our attitude. We allow nature to flourish, so long as we can be sure that we are still in control"

Hedges certainly do seem to embody this ambivalence very well, an attitude to nature that is also seen in removing wild growing plants to replace them with prettier, more well-behaved species or planting squadrons of trees in neat lines, rather than encouraging natural regeneration.

Interspersed with the regular chapters are profiles of outstanding hedges around the UK, including The Elephant Hedge at Rockingham Castle and The Giants Hedge in Cornwall. The author also glances at other aspects of hedges, including the so called hedge schools of Ireland, in which Catholics in the 18th century taught their faith and the Gaelic language in secret schools hidden behind hedges.

This is a fascinating, readable account of hedges, which will appeal particularly to anyone interested in the history of the British countryside.

[Sarah]

Who knew hedges were so interesting. Dies a bit towards the end where the author seems to be hunting for chapter topics.

[Bettie]

BOTW

blurb - The checkerboard pattern of lowland Britain as seen from the air reveals a history of boundaries and enclosures. The author's childhood weekends were spent contributing to this millennia old obsession for tidy borders by clipping the hedges of his parents suburban garden.

Over the course of his travels he discovers how hedges are amongst our most ancient monuments, meets hedgelaying champions and topiary fanatics, and sees the lengths to which some people will go to annoy the neighbours. Along the way he tells how a connection between paradise and the garden hedge grew up, why the British Army planted a barrier hedge hundreds of miles long in India, and how the notorious enclosures during the Industrial Revolution turned the country upside-down.

Abridged and Produced by Jill Waters A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.

[Sharon]

A very interesting topic, though I found that occasionally Barker wandered off onto somewhat muddled philosophical tangents about the meaning of gardens and private property that may or may not have contributed to the overall trajectory of the book. That being said, he remains fairly thoughtful and evenhanded about how hedges can both be ecological mainstays and useful agricultural devices while still being symbols of inequality and a difficult history. (A note: Ireland is included in my tags only because Irish hedges are discussed, not because I am under the impression that Ireland is part of Britain.)

[Vivienne]

I found this a highly engaging account of the role played by hedges in the landscape of Britain.

Barker covers all kinds of subjects including the history of hedges in the country, their place in formal gardens and in gardens of normal folk; their symbolism and the threats they face.

Woods and trees and the relationship with wildlife and conservation are all subjects close to my heart and I enjoyed this very much.

[Jonathan]

Very interesting history of hedges. I now look at hedges differently and understand their function.

[Celia]

Utterly ridiculous and completely delightful.

[T]

3.5 stars

[Ali]

Better and more interesting than expected. If you're interested in hedges...