A survey of hedgerows in the parish of Ingatestone and Fryerning
viable hedges, with densely packed shrubs and few gaps. Elsewhere in the parish - on the
smallholdings and hobby farms along the Fryerning-Mill Green ridge - the problem is exactly the
opposite. These farms - which consist largely of long term set-aside, horse pasture, ungrazed semi-
improved grassland or hayfields - are excellent for wildlife in many ways and a few of the landowners
have dredged ponds, planted trees and undertaken other conservation work in the past decade, but
the hedgerows on their land have largely been left to their own devices. On some smallholdings this
neglect has been going on for three or four decades and as a result some of their hedges have all but
disappeared, only a few mature trees and scattered thorn bushes marking their demise. On others
- such as Harding's Farm - which were arable farms well into the post-war period, this problem is
only now becoming apparent. Their hedges have become tall and thin with numerous small gaps
where Elm suckers or thorn bushes have died, their place often filled temporarily by Elder or
Bramble. Even where stock are still kept, electric fences have replaced the hedges as a means of
containment. Conversely, a few hedges are thicker now than when they bordered arable land, due
largely to the invasive qualities of Blackthorn! Thus, at the present juncture there is a fairly healthy
mix of hedgerow types on these farms, but on balance, their quality is steadily deteriorating.
During the past 10-15 years a small number of hedges have been planted. Ten, to be precise! These
include two roadside hedges in Green Street - replacements for hedges grubbed out in the 1960s - and
the infilling of an old hedge in Fryerning Lane, whose destruction at that time was less thorough.
Completely new hedges enclose a recent extension to Fryerning Churchyard, screen a fishing lake at
Handley Barns, and border a horse paddock alongside Box Wood. The only ancient field hedge to be
re-planted has been at Handley Green, on either side of a surviving remnant. Choice of species has
certainly been governed by the whim of the individual landowners; one consists entirely of Hawthorn,
another Field Maple, and athird largely of Cherry Plum. It is a start. Predicting future trends, though,
is difficult. Conservationists - both inside government and out - have been trying for years to reform
the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, which pays out huge sums in production-based
subsidies, encouraging intensive farming and environmental destruction. At last they appear to be
having some success, and there is hope that future subsidies will be dependent on more environmentally
sensitive farming practices. Other politicians, of course, would like to see all agricultural subsidies
swept away in the cause of a free market, and agriculture left to fend for itself, like other industries
have been in the recent past. That has great appeal for someone like me, who has been walking Essex
farmland on a weekly basis for the past forty years, but the neglect of farmland on poorer soils that
might result from this policy could prove to be a bit risky in a county where local authorities are under
government pressure to build thousands of new homes each year. If the conservationists should prevail,
though, there is hope that more farms in the area will qualify for the various agricultural environment
schemes currently on offer, and that the subsidies they receive will enable them to plant more hedges
and maintain existing ones, ft is also important that these schemes should extend to hobby farms and
smallholdings, where many of the surviving ancient hedgerows are to be found. The future of farming
in this country is undoubtedly at a crossroads. Which way it travels will define the future of many of
the plants and animals which are currently struggling to survive. It will be interesting to read what the
Essex Naturalist has to say about it fifty years hence!
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank many of the landowners in Ingatestone and Fryerning for allowing me access
to their land, particularly Lord Petre (Ingatestone Hall), Chris Knowles (Handley Barns) and Alan
Pudney (The Hyde). Thanks are also due to Ken Adams (maps) and Mark Hanson for reading
through and commenting on this article. Most of all, though, I would like to thank the staff at The
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 21 (2004)
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