Having a look at a hedgerow with a Naturalist’s eye: Catherine Artindale is leading a field visit to a hedgerow and its neighbouring area in Stairfoot.
Weather permitting we will record plants and wildlife species, see what we make of Hooper’s hedgerow dating hypothesis, look at this brownfield site, see how nature is recovering, and check out a small wood and Yew plantation.
Meeting at 10am in the Stairfoot shopping precinct car park off Wombwell Lane. (near Tesco’s, B & M & Pets At Home )
OS grid reference SE37700509
If coming by car, drive in the main entrance by the traffic lights on Wombwell Lane, bear left and then take the first left into the car park that abuts the main road; it’s opposite Pets at Home (the former Carpetright store).
After an introduction by Catherine covering the history of land usage in the area; with the help of copies of maps from 1838, 1929 and 1930. 1838 map was a Tithe map showing a footpath dissecting the field with the latter arial photo (1929) and the O.S. (1930) maps showing the possibility of an hedgerow being present. Catherine had the group helping her survey a hedgerow to test out a hypothesis by Max Hooper. Who’s hypothesis states that hedges can be dated by the colonisation of natural hardwood species, one species every hundred years. By splitting the group of eight into two, each group followed Hooper’s hypothesis and surveyed a 30 yard section of the hedge. The result of our survey was somewhat constant with Hooper’s hypothesis; each group having a species count of four. There are many variables to consider with the hypothesis.
After the survey we sent time in the surrounding area looking at the diversity of species on this brown field site. Amongst out finds were a kestrel, solitary bees, comma butterfly, scarlet elf cup and turkey tail.