Hedge will connect South Downs and New Forest National Parks
December 6, 2023
An inspiring project to connect the South Downs National Park and the New Forest National Park with a green corridor of hedgerows has begun.
The countryside charity, CPRE Hampshire, launched its flagship project ‘The Hampshire Hedge on the Compton Farm estate just outside Winchester.
Ecology students from the University of Sparsholt were joined by over 80 invited guests to enjoy a day of hedge planting and see demonstrations of the ancient craft of hedge laying.
The project has received funding from National CPRE Hedgerow Heroes project, The Linbury Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The three-year project that will connect the two National Parks with a network of hedgerows forming a green corridor of new and restored habitat. The hedgerow is planned to wind its way for about 14 miles (22km) through the central Hampshire parishes and link woodlands, meadows, local nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
Hampshire is unique in that it has two National Parks and three National Landscapes (formerly AONBs) in its boundary, making up over 40 per cent of its land area.
Ellie Banks, CPRE Hampshire hedgerow project officer, said: “It is great to be starting the planting element of the project, our target is to plant three miles of new hedging this year, which is 25,000 whips going into the ground this winter.”
More than half of England’s rural hedgerows have been lost since 1945.
Chris Lickley, Ranger for the Western Downs, added: “Myself and Assistant Ranger Ethan led on the hedge planting for the day, instructing how to plant for a dense, stock-proof hedge and explaining the benefits of planting a native, species-rich mix to attract the most wildlife and provide corridors to link fragmented habitats.”