HEDGEROW SURVEYING

Hedgerows are among Britain's most ecologically significant landscape features, and accurate survey data is essential to their long-term management and restoration. My hedgerow survey work encompasses detailed assessment of gapping — identifying breaks, weak points, and areas of poor connectivity that compromise both wildlife movement and stock-proofing — alongside comprehensive species composition recording to build a picture of botanical diversity and structural character. Age structure assessment follows the Hooper method and wider contextual analysis, helping to establish historical continuity and prioritise hedges of greatest conservation value. Condition surveys evaluate overall vigour, management history, and growth form, providing landowners and managers with clear, evidence-based recommendations for interventions such as laying, coppicing, or gap planting. The result is a thorough baseline record that supports grant applications, farm environment plans, and ongoing stewardship commitments.