Special places archive

The great hedge of India

Roy Moxham wrote The great hedge of India about his quest for the 1,500 mile thorn hedge that divided India in the nineteenth century. I had not heard of the hedge before, and I have not seen the book, but Roy’s book-promo web site hints at a ripping yarn. The British used the impenetrable hedge to collect huge taxes on the Indian salt trade. And yes, after an arduous journey Roy did find a small remnant of the hedge — there’s a photo on the web site.