Found across all of Greater Lincolnshire hedgerows are a feature of the farming landscape. They are less widespread in parts of the coastal grazing marshes and the intensively farmed fens due to the drainage history and nature of farming practices.

Hedges are important for wildlife in their own right as mix of woody vegetation, ground flora and trees providing shelter and food for a large range of common and threatened species. However hedges are important for two more reasons, firstly because they may be remnants of ancient woodland. Therefore they are likely to host an even higher number and proportion of threatened species with few other places to survive in the landscape. Secondly hedgerows form key links in the landscape – joining patches of habitat and allowing species to move around the landscape as they need to. Such connectivity is crucial to the survival of wildlife in the long term.

While a hedge may be obvious to most a recent hedge will look different to an old hedge as will hedges managed in different styles. Yet with a little time it is possible to determine good condition from a few key features such as thick hedge from top to bottom, a large number of woody species or wide range of flowering plants at the base.