Eight miles of traditional Cornish hedging created alongside the A30
It will be along the new dualled route between Carland and Chiverton Cross
Last updated 13th May 2022
The A30 is getting eight miles of brand new Cornish hedging.
It is being created between Chiverton and Carland Cross as part of the scheme to dual the road. National Highways say it will help to preserve the unique landscape.
And as an integral part of the road upgrade, delivery partner Costain have also embarked on a project to create eight miles of traditional Cornish hedges, a net gain of seven miles of hedging alongside the new route, as well as the restoration of existing hedges.
The A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme itself has been designed to protect the environment and as part of construction, the project is following guidelines set out in the Guild of Cornish Hedge Builders’ bible Building Hedges in Cornwall to create the new hedging.
Particular to the county and dating from the Neolithic period – tracing back to 1,500 BC – Cornish hedges are traditionally five-foot high, stone-faced earth hedgebanks with bushes or trees growing along the top.
Stone material is being reused from existing sections of hedging which are being dismantled to make way for the new route.
The hedging is also being constructed with locally quarried slate, supplied by Cornish Stone Products from the Tynes Quarry near St Teath – just 21 miles away – and the project team are now closing in on their first milestone, the construction of the first kilometre (half a mile) of hedging.
The slate hedges will be topped off with turf, supplemented with additional planting, and this will help to create habitats for numerous species, and increase biodiversity alongside the new route.
Nick Simmonds-Screech, National Highways’ Project Director for the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme, said: “We’re really proud of the work we’re undertaking to enhance the landscape, and protect the ecology and environment in the area, and the hedging work is a glowing example of this.
“The design of the road has been carried out in the most sympathetic way for both local people, the travelling public, wildlife and the environment, and we’re currently forecasting a net gain of over 10% in biodiversity as part of the work we’re doing on the scheme.
“A rich flora develops over the lifespan of a Cornish hedge, they play an important part in biodiversity and we’re proud to be adding to the already 30,000 miles of hedging across the county.”
You can find more information about the scheme here.