Our 300-metre long native species hedge is situated between the lake and the playing fields in Astral Park, overlooking open countryside on the eastern edge of Leighton Buzzard. There’s a huge variety of shrubs planted including hawthorn, alder, dog rose and crab apple.
History of the site
In summer 2014 we were approached by Leighton Linslade Town Council who asked us to work with them on planting a native hedge that would support wildlife and also provide a windbreak for those playing and watching football.
The hedging was supplied by the then Community Tree Trust based at Clophill, Bedfordshire. Their plants had the advantage of being grown from native Bedfordshire seed. Some large shrubs (around 1.5 metres tall) of willow, alder, hornbeam, buckthorn and hawthorn were planted to create a windbreak as soon as possible. This was followed by some medium-sized shrubs in blocks, with some small whips at the entrance.
One of our aims was to create blocks of different species so that the hedge would be a great educational tool for local schools and our local community to learn to recognise their native species.
Planting our native species
The hedge was planted in November 2014 with members of the local community. We planted 27 native species including three apple trees and one plum tree at the entrance. We also planted an area with ivy and honeysuckle as these are both very important for bees and butterflies.
We planted:
- Alder
- Alder buckthorn
- Ash
- Beech
- Birch
- Blackthorn
- Broom
- Buckthorn
- Buddleia
- Crab apple
- Dog rose
- Dogwood
- Elder
- Field maple
- Field rose
- Guelder rose
- Hawthorn
- Hazel
- Holly
- Hornbeam
- Oak
- Wayfaring tree
- Wild pear
- Willow
- Wych elm
In early 2015 the hedge flooded due to problems with drainage in Astral Park, and a lot of shrubs were lost. We worked with the town council to dig drainage. Despite the setback, the hedge has since established and now provides an effective windbreak. We did further planting in 2015 when local residents helped us plant 10 hornbeam trees donated by the Community Tree Trust.
Managing the site
The main maintenance workload has been weeding, as the thistles and brambles can take over. We’ve held a number of work parties involving volunteers from our members and local residents, and on one occasion we had an evening session with 22 Young Explorers who took part in a 3-hour weeding session.
Keep an eye on our events page for more information about upcoming work parties or awareness days.