English Hedgerows: A Shifting Landscape Mirrored in Sporting Art
2025-04-30
This article uses sporting art as a lens to explore the history of English hedgerows and their connection to socio-economic changes. Paintings from different eras reveal a fluctuating landscape: thriving hedgerows in prosperous periods contrasted with sparse, neglected ones during economic downturns. The post-WWII eradication of hedgerows for agricultural efficiency is highlighted, challenging the common perception of a perpetually biodiverse pre-1945 countryside. The article argues that the English landscape is dynamic, its appearance shaped by governmental policies, not solely by natural processes.
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