Devon hedge bank

Description:

The first photo is of the entrance to a rabbit run ( a series of tunnels running inside the hedge) in a Devon hedge bank, a photo that I took in January when I was back in Devon. The third and fourth photos are in the same hedge, but with the amount of soil at the entrance, it's probably a larger animals home. A Devon hedge is an earth bank topped with shrubs. The bank may be faced with turf or faced with stone. If stone-faced, the stones are generally placed on edge, though around gateways the stones are often placed flat. A quarter of Devon's hedges are thought to be over 800 years old.[14] There are approximately 33,000 miles (53,000 km) of Devon hedge,[14] which is more than any other county. Traditional farming throughout the county has meant that fewer Devon hedges have been removed than elsewhere. Devon hedges are particularly important for wildlife habitat. Around 20% of the UK's species-rich hedges occur within Devon.[15] Over 600 species of flowering plants, 1500 species of insects, 65 species of birds and 20 species of mammals have been recorded living or feeding in Devon hedges.[15]