Hedgerow Heroes Phase Four, celebrating our countryside champions

CPRE’s Hedgerow Heroes project has completed its fourth successful year, with local groups across England planting and restoring thousands of metres of hedgerow.

The fourth phase of CPRE’s Hedgerow Heroes project has delivered another year of growth, engagement and environmental restoration. With over 28,000 metres of hedgerow planted or restored—exceeding its target of 18,820—the campaign continues to demonstrate the power of community action in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Empowering communities and growing lasting legacies

From school children planting their first hedges to landowners adopting long-term management plans to continue hedge restoration, local CPRE groups have equipped communities with the skills, confidence, and inspiration to care for their countryside. With over 1,668 volunteers, 120 sites, and an incredible 125,765 trees planted, Phase Four not only restored hedgerows but also strengthened the roots of environmental action for years to come.

Avon and Bristol

This year, CPRE Avon and Bristol expanded their impact across the counties by collaborating with a diverse range of partners. Their work empowered young people with rural skills, and strengthened connections between people and place. Hedgerows were restored not only to enhance wildlife habitats but to inspire future custodians of the countryside.

Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire’s debut year in the Hedgerow Heroes programme exceeded all expectations. The group restored and planted 1,500 metres of hedgerow, 500 metres more than their original goal! Their work, spread across 10 sites, included partnerships with parish councils and local organisations. A particular success was their Explorers Guide for children, which proved popular with schools and Brownies.

Gloucestershire

One of Gloucestershire’s most impactful partnerships was with the Cotswold School, where students engaged in hedgelaying and helped establish a hedgerow on school grounds. This will be maintained and eventually laid by future students, forming a part of the school’s green curriculum. Last year they helped establish the Gloucestershire Hedgelaying Society, which has gone from strength to strength.

Hampshire

Hampshire led the project in scale, planting and restoring 6,801 metres of hedgerow, more than any other county this year (not that it’s a competition!). With the involvement of local authorities, schools, scouts, and Junior Rangers, Hampshire celebrated reaching the halfway point of its three-year planting goal of the Hampshire Hedge. The result has created better-connected habitats, improved hedgerow management, and empowered communities to carry the project forward.

Herefordshire

Despite challenges with the weather and logistics, Herefordshire also enjoyed a strong first year, planting and restoring 3,714 metres of hedgerow—1,214 more than their initial target. The team successfully engaged with farmers and communities alike. The project’s legacy is twofold: it raises awareness about long-term support for nature and keeps communities connected with the natural world.

Oxfordshire

In Oxfordshire, the team delivered nearly 4,000 metres of hedgerow planting and restoration. The project covered 15 different locations, including six new communities to the Hedgerow Heroes family. Community events were held to explain practices like coppicing and they supported local environmental groups to independently manage hedgerows. Schools and residents now have plans in place for further planting, and a strong volunteer network has formed. This means the group is fully equipped to lead future conservation work!

Shropshire

Shropshire has sustained impressive momentum over four years, adding another 6,070 metres of hedgerow this year. The project has helped to bring hedgerows—their fantastic benefits, history and management—to a much wider audience in the county. With 24km of hedgerow now planted since the start of their involvement, this really has been a beacon of positivity.

Warwickshire

Taking part for the first time, Warwickshire planted and restored 1,106 metres of hedgerow across nine sites. Despite facing snow on their first day, volunteers surpassed expectations. With strong support from MPs and local organisations, CPRE Warwickshire has laid a promising foundation for continuing hedgerow work. 300 children from Myton School, Warwick entered their ‘design a hedgerow’ competition and the winning design was planted on school grounds.

I would walk 100 miles

CPRE’s Hedgerow Heroes Phase Four has shown that hedgerows are not only vital for the environment, but also a powerful tool for fostering togetherness, improving wellbeing, and preserving rural skills. As CPRE approaches its centenary year, the goal of delivering 100 miles of new and restored hedgerow is firmly within reach.

Lorraine Ray, Hedgerow Heroes Project Manager, said:

‘Through Hedgerow Heroes, local CPREs have been able to connect people with places. This has been echoed amongst all participating groups. Whilst hedgerows themselves link the landscape, the project provides a powerful tool for engaging people with their local countryside, giving a shared understanding of their value and equipping them with the skills to manage them effectively.’

Find out more

You can find out more about local hedgerow restoration projects by contacting your local group.

At CPRE, we’ve been campaigning for hedgerows for many years. Hedgerows are the unsung heroes of our countryside, providing a home for wildlife, connecting people to nature and helping us tackle climate change. Most recently, we released a report on how we should approach hedgerow planting to meet the Defra targets, which you can find more about here.