Section 4 - Technical guidance - Field boundaries
| Feature | Feature detail | Unit of measurement |
|---|---|---|
| F01 - Hedgerow | metres | |
| F02 - BAP hedgerow | metres | |
| F03 - Line of trees | metres | |
| F04 - Hedgebank | metres | |
| F05 - Earthbank | metres | |
| F06 - Stone-faced bank | metres | |
| F07 - Stone wall | metres | |
| F08 - Wet ditch | Ditch of high value | metres |
See also:
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Notes
- If there is a water-filled ditch associated with another boundary, record both as features (if they fit the definitions below).
- For all types of field boundaries that were once a type of boundary but the boundary type is no longer functional/meeting the definitions below check to see if the boundary is a 'Relict (out of use) boundary (H05)' (page 85).
F01 - Hedgerow
- Any boundary line of shrubs or trees over 20 metres long and less than five metres wide, provided that at one time the trees and shrubs were more or less continuous.
- This includes newly-planted hedges.
Condition assessment
Do not assess condition for hedges planted or managed (coppiced, laid or pollarded) within the last five years. Record the management style in the notes column.
If there are areas of the hedge that would benefit from extra management (e.g. a hedge in good condition, but may require laying or coppicing) you may recommend 'capital works' and/or record in the 'Notes' column the type of restoration.
- Height - Assess the height of the woody component of the hedge from the base of the stems to the top of the shoots of the woody species. This must be assessed along the whole length of the hedge and the most common height used. Gaps are not included, nor are hedgerow trees. Where a bank is present the height of the bank must be excluded. If the bank is asymmetrical, the side with the lowest height should be assessed. The hedgerow must meet a minimum threshold of two metres in height.
- Width - Assess the width of the woody component between the shoot tips at the widest point. This must be assessed along the whole length of the hedge and the most common width used. Gaps are not included. The hedgerow must meet a minimum threshold of 1.5 metres in width.
- Continuity - Assess the horizontal gappiness of the woody component. Gaps are complete breaks in the woody canopy of the hedgerow. No more than 10% of the hedgerow length should be occupied by gaps and no one gap should be greater than five metres wide, this excludes access points and gates. (Where dormice or target species of bat are present on the holding there must be no gaps.)
F02 - Ancient and/or species-rich hedgerow - BAP habitat
- Any boundary line of shrubs or trees over 20 metres long and less than five metres wide, provided that at one time the trees and shrubs were more or less continuous. This includes newly-planted hedges.
- A hedgerow that has five or more native woody species, excluding
hedgerow trees (see the guidance note ESF005 - Condition Assessment: F01 – Hedgerow and F02 – Ancient and/or Species Rich Hedgerow
![[Click to download Adobe Acrobat Reader]](/graphics/buttons/pdf.gif)
[358KB] for details) on average within this
30 metres length (or four species in northern England). (full list of eligible native
woody species[49KB]) - Hedges that contain fewer woody species but have a rich basal flora or predate the Enclosure Act (1720-1870) are also included.
Condition assessment
Use condition assessment above for 'F01 - Hedgerow'.
F03 - Line of trees
- A line of trees purposefully planted without a shrub understorey.
- This may include avenues and pine lines.
Note
In addition to 'F03 Line of trees', 'T01 Ancient tree' should be recorded separately, however it is not necessary to record 'T02, Mature and over mature tree'. Check also to see if the line of trees is part of a designed landscape (see 'H14 Designed landscape'), if so record as both features.
Condition assessment
- Presence of an undisturbed grass strip of at least six metres on both sides to protect the line of trees from farming operations.
- No evidence of damage by livestock through bark stripping and rubbing, erosion by burrowing animals, farming operations, machinery storage, signage or fencing.
- 95% of trees are in a healthy condition.
F04 - Hedgebank
- An earth bank or mound associated with a hedge which is distinct from the surrounding landform.
- If the hedgerow meets the 'F02 - Ancient and/or specieis-rich hedgerow - BAP habitat' definition record it in addition to this feature.
Condition assessment
- See F01 condition assessment 1.
- See F01 condition assessment 2.
- Continuity - No more than 10% of bank or hedge occupied by gaps.
- Structure - No more than 10% of the bank affected by erosion by livestock/slumping/burrowing animals.
F05 - Earthbank
- An earth bank on a field boundary without a hedge.
Condition assessment
- Continuity - No more than 10% of bank occupied by gaps.
- Structure - No more than 10% of the bank affected by erosion by livestock/slumping/burrowing animals.
F06 - Stone-faced bank
- An earth bank faced with natural stone, on top of which hedge shrubs usually grow. Record this feature if it is without a full hedge. If it has a hedge, record it as F04 Hedgebank.
Condition assessment
- Continuity - No more than 10% of bank occupied by gaps and/or lack of facing stones.
- Structure - No more than 10% of the bank affected by erosion by livestock/slumping/burrowing animals.
- Materials - Any repair or maintenance carried out has been in traditional materials used in the original construction and style characteristic of the local area.
F07 - Stone wall
- A built structure of natural stone or stone blocks, mostly of traditional dry stone wall construction. This also includes mortared walls where they form a field boundary.
Condition assessment
- Continuity - Full height wall to below top stones and no gaps along the length of the boundary.
- Materials - Any repair or maintenance carried out has been in traditional materials used in the original construction and style characteristic of the local area.
- Structure - Minor signs of bulging, slumping or bellying are acceptable, but wall not in danger of collapse.
- Completeness - Some top stones can be displaced but at least 75% must be present.
F08 - Wet ditch
- A ditch that contains or has the potential to contain standing or flowing water for most or all of the year.
- These ditches will frequently be found on flood plains and marshes and may contain a high diversity of plants.
Feature detail
Ditch of high value: A ditch that contains more than ten submerged, floating or emergent native aquatic plant species per 20 metre stretch or contain species of high conservation interest e.g. water voles (record the species of conservation interest as a separate feature (see species feature pages 98-100).
Condition assessment
- Water levels in ditch are no more than 45 centimetres below mean field level, and there is a minimum depth of 30 centimetres of water throughout the year.
- The cover of macro-algae is less than 30% in summer.
- The following species together make up less than 75% of the vegetation cover: common duckweed, fennel pondweed, yellow water-lily.
- The following species make up less than 10% of the vegetation cover - New Zealand pygmyweed, floating pennywort, waterfern or parrot's feather.
- Less than 20% of the ditch is in heavy shade (unless the ditch is adjacent to a hedge or within a woodland) and more than 25% has a gently sloping profile or berms and shelves.
Page last modified:
15 June, 2005
Page published: 3 March, 2005