The Bridge Farm Hedgerow Project

About LANCE:

The Long Ashton Nature, Community, and Environment Trust (LANCE) was established in early 2021 by local residents committed to preserving and enhancing biodiversity in Long Ashton. Working alongside schools, community groups, and the Parish Council, LANCE focuses on reintroducing native species and improving local ecosystems to stop the decline of wildlife species.

Click here to visit their website.

The Bridge Farm Hedgerow Project: Restoring Habitat and Connecting Ecosystems

In February 2024, LANCE launched an initiative to plant 2 kilometres of native hedgerow at Bridge Farm, Long Ashton, to restore native hedgerows and reconnect existing mature woodlands. Native hedgerows are essential ecosystems, providing habitats for invertebrates, small mammals, and birds while also serving as vital corridors that connect fragmented ecosystems. Long Ashton sits between biodiverse pollinator habitats, including Ashton Court, Leigh Woods and Yew Tree Farm SNCI. Years of land division and intensive farming have left many hedgerows sparse or entirely removed. Habitat fragmentation diminishes species richness by reducing habitat size, isolating populations, and restricting movement, which in turn disrupts the structure and functionality of remaining ecosystems. Through this hedgerow restoration, LANCE aimed to enhance biodiversity, promote ecological connectivity, and strengthen the resilience of local wildlife populations. With new government legislation encouraging hedgerow preservation, LANCE’s efforts contribute to broader conservation goals.

Expanding the Project: From Initial Plantings to Community-Wide Involvement

The project started with a small group of volunteers who planted 30 oak and field maple saplings spaced 15 meters apart and protected with biodegradable guards. After covering about 420 meters, it became clear that additional support would be necessary to achieve the 2-kilometer target. LANCE partnered with Bridge Farm, North Somerset Council, and the Forest of Avon to launch the Great Hedge Creation Project, recruiting over 150 volunteers from the local community and beyond throughout February and March. Volunteers included local families and schoolchildren to employees from Bristol-based companies like Hewlett Packard and Southmead A&E, who joined for corporate volunteering days. The hedgerow mix was carefully chosen to support local biodiversity, with species like hawthorn, hazel, dogwood, guelder rose, rowan, yew, crab apple, honeysuckle, alder buckthorn, wayfaring tree, and holly. Over the course of this project, 6,500 native trees were planted. One tree can absorb, on average, 10kg of carbon dioxide per year for the first 20 years, therefore this project will have significant carbon sequestration potential.

This new hedgerow at Bridge Farm will link up existing woodland, creating valuable additional habitats on the agricultural land frequently visited by kestrels, buzzards, ravens, barn and tawny owls, butterflies, rare bat species, and native mammals. With public rights of way across Bridge Farm, locals can follow the hedgerow’s development over the years.

Future plans and how to get involved

In the first year of its life, the newly planted hedgerow required some management. Volunteers gathered to cut back thistles, nettles and brambles that would compete for light and space with the young plants. However, as the hedge becomes more mature, these plants will actually help form a diverse and complex hedge system. Occasionally, there will be extra care and maintenance tasks to ensure the hedgerow’s success – sign up to LANCE’s newsletter or keep an eye on their Facebook page for these volunteering opportunities. Spring will bring new projects and further volunteering opportunities with the Trust also. If you have questions for the team – you can contact them on LANCET2021@protonmail.com.