CPRE Herefordshire Annual Report October 2012

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HCPRE’S HEDGEROW PROJECT We have been campaigning for hedgerow protection since the 1970s. We welcomed the introduction of the Hedgerows Regulations in 1997, but there is more we can do to ensure a better future for England’s hedgerows. HCPRE volunteers Ros Bradbury and John Ockenden measuring a veteran tree, with a recent pollard in background. Funded by a generous legacy specifically for hedgerow work, CPRE branches around the country have been running hedgerow projects, including Herefordshire where since 2009 HCPRE volunteers have been mapping some of the county’s important hedgerows. We were pleased to be invited to survey the hedgerows on a farm in north Herefordshire. The present owner is the third generation to farm the land, (75.5 ha), most of which is pasture used for grazing sheep and cattle. There is also an orchard, an area of woodland, a stream and part of a disused railway track. Roads, connected by a public footpath across the land, form the north and south boundaries; the north, south and east boundaries are also parish boundaries As a preliminary to the survey work, we examined contemporary and older maps of the land, dated 1880, 1840 and 1780. Although some relatively short hedges had been removed after 1880, all the present hedgerows were depicted on the tithe map. We were shown the current hedgerow management plan, including some restoration that had been agreed for the Stewardship Scheme. We surveyed 13 hedgerows from December 2011 to May 2012, in 30m sections, a total of nearly 3,500m; the majority had a wide variety of woody species. In one of the parish boundaries, we found: ash, blackthorn, elder, crack willow, dogwood, English elm, field maple, goat willow, hawthorn, hazel, holly and sycamore. We also recorded ground flora, fauna, fungi, plant galls and measured veteran trees. Among the observations that excited the survey team was the relatively high frequency of field maple (Acer Campestris), including good-sized trees and very old pollards, one with a girth of 2.94m. One hedgerow contained seven oak trees, the largest with 3.60m girth. The ground flora were splendid; over 100 different species were noted. Among memorable ‘finds’ were several clumps of pungently scented sweet violet, a bank of cowslips, a field of bulbous buttercup, and plants of pepper saxifrage and green alkanet. We saw buzzards, a raven, skylarks, an occupied badger sett, numerous bumblebees including Bombus lapidarius (red-tailed), butterflies, moths and other insects, including St. Mark's Fly. We are grateful to the landowner for the opportunity to make this species-rich record. 4
A CASE STUDY HCPRE recently challenged Herefordshire Council’s decision to remove a hedgerow in Credenhill as part of the creation of the cycleway from the end of the Roman Road to Credenhill. HCPRE’s concern was how the Council arrived at the conclusion that the hedge was not ‘important’. The Council and HCPRE both agreed that the hedge was species rich and very close to the borderline of importance in terms of the wildlife aspects of the Hedgerow Regulations. The nub of the matter was the Council’s conclusion that the hedge was not part of a pre-enclosure field system and therefore not important in terms of the Hedgerow Regulations. HCPRE member, Penny Farquhar-Oliver prepared a detailed report, challenging the Council’s opinion. It is an example of the diligent work done by HCPRE to protect the county’s heritage. Here are some extracts from her report. HCPRE ask that before finally determining its status, the Council take full and proper account of the 1840 Stretton Sugwas tithe map, and of the 1757 and 1794 maps, and also take into consideration numerous earlier written documents confirming many of the fields in the locality to be of long standing. In HCPRE’s opinion, (and quite apart from the Council’s case resting on inappropriate speculations), documents and maps collectively cast doubt even on the Council’s contention that the field pattern in this area (i.e. the area around the road and hedge) has a strong co-axial character relating to the course of the Roman Road’. In our view, map and documentary evidence appears to suggest the following: - To the south of the Roman Road [A438], the landscape in 1757 was predominantly one of curvaceous and numerous strips in three large open arable fields, with a number of scattered curvilinear enclosures as well. By 1794, this curvilinear pattern had been strengthened with numerous additional curvilinear boundaries arising from (pre-Parliamentary) enclosure of all three open fields, and reflecting their former furlongs. But then this area was changed again, this time by comprehensive reorganization of the field pattern (presumably by the Guys Estate) and replacement of the former boundary pattern with a strongly coaxial one which was very evident in19th century tithe and OS maps, but which had become fragmented by the 1970s. But in the vicinity of Stretton Court (and the A480 road and hedge), the map shows that any open arable had already been enclosed by 1757, (documentary evidence suggests that this was taking place in the 1600s or earlier), and although a number of curvaceous boundaries were lost near the road between 1794 and 1840, and some straight boundaries replaced them, there was little other change (and little evidence in either map of any ‘strong co-axial character’ save that introduced by the new boundaries). The situation remained similar through the 19th century, though some of the new straight boundaries were removed again between 1840 and 1886 and also five short stretches of the 1757 network. But in the main, the curvilinear pattern as seen in 1757 is still visible today, with some remaining additional 19th century straight boundaries postdating it. HCPRE knows of no evidence to suggest that the curvilinear A480 is any less an integral part of the field patterns in the locality than is the equally curvilinear road (now a bridleway) to its east with the medieval packhorse bridge, or the curvilinear northern boundary of Stretton around some of the fields called Hansell seen in the redrawn tithe map on page 2. (The Hansell names were Horneshill in the 1640s and Hornsell by 1699). We also note that since most historic parish boundaries were established between five and nine centuries ago, any such boundary mered* to a road is likely to indicate that that road is equally old. The available evidence is therefore against the Council’s claim that this road or its hedge ‘postdates’ the surrounding field pattern. HCPRE continues to maintain that this roadside hedge is important because it certainly meets criterion 5(a). We further suggest that it may well also be important under criterion 1 and/or 4, but of course, meeting one criterion is sufficient to confer ‘Important’ status in terms of the Hedgerow Regulations. Parish boundary Threatened hedge Following this report, Herefordshire Council agreed that it met the criteria for importance but told HCPRE that “the regulations require a judgement to be made as to whether its removal is justified, having regard to the reasons for its proposed removal and comments of the Parish Council. In that consideration, the wider public interest is a factor. The scheme will deliver a range of benefits in linking the community of Credenhill with an earlier phase of investment between the Brecon and Roman Roads. The approved scheme is supported by both Parish Councils. Weighing these factors (we) have concluded that the Hedgerow Removal Notice should stand as issued. The footway/cycleway scheme will continue to be implemented as designed and approved, to deliver the enhanced links which are sought. A replacement, species rich hedgerow will be planted along the field boundary.” * Mereing is the association of a parish boundary with ground features which define it. 5
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 6 OCTOBER 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
Page 3: NPPF AT A GLANCE... GREEN Improved/
Page 7 and 8: tranquillity in beautiful landscape
Page 9 and 10: CHAIRMAN’S REPORT N THE LAST YEAR
Page 11 and 12: Our planning watchdogs! Members of

CPRE Herefordshire Annual Report October 2012

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