This is a chronological panorama of the life-cycle of a hedge, from its planting in Saxon times to its rapid disappearance in the present day. It describes the extraordinary variety of plants, animals, birds and insects which have inhabited the hedgerow over the centuries. The book shows man's use of the hedgerow through the years for food, fuel, shelter and natural medicine and it emphasises the contribution this feature of our landscape has made to daily life for generations.