Bringing the Past into the Present for a More Connected Future
Over the past century, the UK’s landscape has undergone profound changes, with field boundaries disappearing due to agricultural intensification, urban expansion, and shifting land use practices. These boundaries—whether hedgerows, tree lines, stone walls, or ditches—once played a vital role in supporting biodiversity, retaining soil health, and shaping the character of our countryside.
Lost Boundaries is a pioneering data-as-a-service product from ArchAI, designed for farmers, ecologists, land agents, and conservationists. By digitising historical Ordnance Survey maps, we can reveal where boundaries once existed, what habitats were adjacent to them, and whether they included trees—providing a critical evidence base for restoring lost connections in the landscape.
Restoring Connections in the Landscape
Historical
Boundaries Mapped
Digitally reconstructed from Ordnance Survey 2nd Edition maps (c.1890–1915) to show precise locations of lost boundaries.
Boundary Type Classification
Identifies whether a boundary was a hedgerow, or a line of trees, providing insight into past land management.
Adjacent Habitat Analysis
Determines the historic landscape alongside boundaries (woodland, pasture or wetland) to assess biodiversity potential.
Tracking Boundary Loss at Scale
Delivers statistical insights on boundary loss, allowing comparisons across sites and supporting strategic planning for reconnection.
Why Understanding Lost Boundaries Matters
Field boundaries are more than just lines on a map, they are vital ecological corridors that connect fragmented habitats, store carbon, and shelter wildlife. Understanding their historical presence can inform landscape recovery efforts, agroecological practices, and biodiversity conservation.
Identify where hedgerows, tree lines, and other boundaries have been removed due to modern farming, urban expansion, or infrastructure projects. Understanding past boundary networks helps restore lost connectivity and historic landscape character.
Reconstruct Historic Field Boundaries
Determine whether a lost boundary was a hedgerow, dry stone wall, bank, or fence, providing insight into how fields were historically enclosed and managed. This information supports targeted restoration efforts that align with traditional land use practices.
Classify Boundary Types
Assess the historical land cover on either side of a boundary to understand how field edges have changed over time. This enables better planning for habitat restoration, species movement, and landscape resilience.
Analyse Adjacent Habitats
Use historic boundary data to inform hedgerow re-establishment, agroforestry projects, and habitat connectivity improvements. This supports landowners, conservationists, and policymakers in designing nature-based solutions for resilient landscapes.
Plan for Ecological Restoration
Boundary shifts in the South Downs
Use the slider to switch between the historic map (left) and the satellite image (right). Lines represent historic boundaries showing loss due to agriculture (top left), golf course (centre), and housing (top right).
This example from Alton in the South Downs shows where historic landscapes have changed. Some boundaries, like those in agricultural fields, could be restored, while areas now covered by housing or golf courses are permanently altered. Where symbology specified habitat, features such as tree lines and hedgerows have been identified, helping to guide targeted restoration efforts.
Effortless Integration
& Tailored Delivery
Lost Boundaries is delivered as a high-resolution spatial dataset, enabling you to interrogate, analyse, and extract insights within your GIS systems. Whether you're assessing historical boundary loss, planning habitat restoration, or integrating with land management strategies, our data provides the foundation for informed decision-making.
Available formats:
✔ Data file transfer for full integration and analysis within your GIS
✔ Web Feature Service (WFS) available on request for seamless GIS access
Pricing Tiers:
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Small Landowners & Farms – 0 to 2,500 acres
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Estate Managers, Land Portfolios & Organisations – 10km² to 5,000km²
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National Datasets – Available on request
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Plan hedgerow restoration and tree planting to align with historic landscape features.
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Enhance natural capital for farm resilience, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity net gain.
Farmers &
Landowners
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Map habitat loss and fragmentation to support rewilding and biodiversity projects.
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Design nature-based solutions that reflect historic land cover and improve landscape permeability.
Ecologists & Conservationists
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Support agri-environment scheme applications (e.g. Countryside Stewardship, ELMs).
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Guide estate planning and habitat restoration strategies using historical data.
Land Agents
& Estate Managers
