E is for 'Edges'

The countryside doesn’t end where towns begin.

It lives on the edges; in the hedgerows along busy lanes, the green margins at village limits, and the overlooked strips of land where development meets farmland. These places are often dismissed as “in‑between” or “leftover”. Yet they are some of the most important parts of our countryside.

This idea of being ‘on the edge’ sits at the heart of CPRE’s centenary year. In 2026, our national charity is taking ‘On the Edge’ – an edgelands‑inspired show garden designed by Sarah Eberle to RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden celebrates the countryside at the edges of towns and cities: places close to where millions of people live, rich in nature and potential, yet under constant pressure.

More on CPRE at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Here in Gloucestershire, when we think about edges, our hedgerow work comes immediately to mind. Hedgerows are one of the most familiar, and vital, examples of these edges.

Threading through Gloucestershire, they connect habitats, shelter wildlife, store carbon, manage water, and define local character. Hedgerows soften roads and developments, frame footpaths, and make the transition from town to countryside feel alive rather than abrupt. And yet, they are also vulnerable.

Hedgerows are often the first features to be removed, weakened or neglected, especially at the edges of settlements or alongside development sites. Over time, these small losses add up, fragmenting landscapes and reducing nature’s ability to recover.

That’s why CPRE Gloucestershire places hedgerows at the heart of our countryside protection work.

More on our hedgerow work

By campaigning for stronger protection, better management, and greater recognition of hedgerows as essential green infrastructure, we are defending the edges that hold the wider landscape together. This isn’t about resisting change; it’s about shaping it so that nature, climate and communities all benefit.

The ‘On the Edge’ garden challenges us to see these places differently. Not as margins, but as opportunities. Not as land waiting to be built on, but as living landscapes that deserve care and attention.

If we look after the edges of Gloucestershire, and of England more widely, we strengthen the whole.

Because the future of the countryside depends not just on celebrated places, but on the spaces in between.