FARMERS and landowners in the North York Moors National Park received grants totalling £64,400 last year to plant and restore hedges and dry stone walls.

The funding has supported the restoration of more than 2,600 square metres of dry stone wall, the planting of 2,330 metres of hedgerow and around 560 metres of coppicing and laying existing hedgerows.

Traditional and important features in the Park, they also provide boundary markers and shelter for stock, help reduce soil erosion, and provide homes for wildlife.The grants are from the Park Authority's Traditional Boundary Scheme (TBS) – which was set up to help maintain such features – and its Habitat Connectivity programme which links and improves important habitats.

Martin Dawson-Brown received a grant to help lay 194 metres of mixed hedgerow at Low Askew Farm, Cropton. The hedge, which includes hawthorn, wild rose, field maple, wild pear and honeysuckle, was planted in 2001 on the site of a much older boundary.

He said: "The hedge is not covered by our stewardship agreement but we feel it is a key feature of the farm so were very pleased to get the grant from the authority. It is one of a number of hedges we have planted over the years – all with wildlife in mind by choosing species that produce berries for birds.”

Hedgelaying was practised across Europe for hundreds of years, but today the UK is one of only a handful of countries where it is still performed. It involves partially cutting through the upright stems of shrubs, bending them down and weaving them around stakes driven into the line of the hedge. There are around ten different regional styles in the UK including a 'Yorkshire style' which is traditionally very narrow, laid flattish and no more than three foot in height.

David Perry, from Robin Hood’s Bay, carried out the hedgelaying at Low Askew Farm and also restores dry stone walls. He said that 30 years ago, hedgelayers were a dying breed but, thanks to grants like the TBS and increased environmental awareness of landowners, there is renewed interest .

He said: “Many farmers and landowners recognise the wildlife benefits and the shelter for stock that a well maintained hedge provides. Hedges act as wildlife corridors for a range of birds and animals that will not normally cross expanses of open land, provide nesting sites for birds, and are an important food source for many creatures. In addition, the wall and the hedge are an underpinning visual characteristic of the landscape of the British Isles."

Brian Hope, of High House Farm, near Sutton Bank, received funding over the last two years to restore 260 metres of dry stone wall. He said: “Getting the grant was a very simple process and has transformed a dilapidated eyesore into a good secure boundary for our stock. The wall is very visible from the road and a footpath and we’ve had several walkers remark on how nice it looks.”

Despite considerable cuts to its core funding, the National Park Authority hopes to offer the TBS grants again next year to help with the cost of rebuilding dry stone walls and planting or restoring hedges that are unlikely to be restored under agri-environment schemes. More information is at northyorkmoors.org.uk/tbs

Kirsty Brown, conservation project assistant at the Authority looks after the TBS, and thanked the landowners and contractors who have undertaken work using the grants. She said: "Various dry stone walls in the National Park are believed to go back to the Iron Age or earlier, with some on the coast being noted from Viking times, while some of our hedgerows are remnants of ancient woodland margins.

"In addition to supporting our local farms and benefitting wildlife, maintaining our walls and hedges has an economic element too in making the area more appealing to visitors. The Authority is therefore keen to do what it can to continue to support these traditional boundaries.”