Hedgelands: A wild wander around Britain's greatest habitat (Hardback) - Christopher Hart

'[A] joyously readable book- it riffs along like breeze in the hedgerow.' John Lewis-Stempel in Country Life

'[Hart] has written an eye-opening and inspiring book which will leave you with a deep appreciation of these wonderful habitats' Daily Mail

In this joyous journey around the wild edges of Britain, Christopher Hart takes us through the life, ecology and history of the humble British hedge, showing us how this much-loved (but somewhat overlooked) feature is inextricably woven into our language, history and culture.

Hedges - or hedgerows - have long been an integral part of the British landscape; a bastion of privacy for our gardens, a protective presence on winding country lanes and a vital hiding place for birds and beasts on farmland.

This man-made marvel is finally getting its time in the sun. Recognised as an environmental hero and a powerful climate ally, hedgerow is now considered the greatest edge habitat on earth, offering thorny scrub, mature woodland, grassland and even wetland. It plays a critical role in carbon sequestration and provides essential protection against the elements.

Hedgelands highlights the hawthorn and hazel of ancient hedges; the abundance of wildlife, from the elusive dunnock to the striking nightingale, the industrious hedgehog to the little harvest mouse; and the free pickings that the hedgerow offers, making it an essential - and delicious - element of any countryside ramble.

Hedgelands will tell you everything you never thought you needed to know about this wild, diverse and rich habitat - and you might even look at your humble hedge in a whole new way.

'A glorious anthem to the hedge! The sleeping giant that is waiting to be nurtured back to life-giving health. This wonderful book fires the imagination and will change the way you look at a hedge forever.' Keggie Carew, author of Beastly

'A wonderful history of the threads that stitch the British countryside together.' Jake Fiennes, author of Land Healer

'A passionate celebration and exploration of our wonderful hedgerows. You'll be swept along by Hart's intoxicating enthusiasm.' Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth

About the Author

Christopher Hart has written ten novels published to date, both literary and historical, including Lost Children and Rescue Me, while his historical fiction, written under the pen name of William Napier, includes Julia, the best-selling Attila trilogy and the Last Crusaders trilogy. His work has been praised in both The Times Literary Supplement and the Sunday Sport. He has also published numerous short stories, essays and reviews, and has been a freelance journalist since the 1990s, for The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and others. He lives in Wiltshire, where he is rewilding seven acres and a hedge.

Jonathan Thomson has run a twenty-five-acre rewilding project called Underhill Wood Nature Reserve in Wiltshire since 2014 for flora, fauna and the education of young people. There, he has restored a hedge to its former glory through the practice of conservation hedge-laying. Jonathan teaches the John Muir Conservation Award and runs rewilding workshops. He grew up on a small dairy farm in rural New Zealand, and the natural world has always played an important part in his life. Since living in the UK, his awareness of the need to protect, conserve and restore our squeezed and threatened native fauna and flora has grown more urgent. www.underhillwoodnaturereserve.com.