Data are presented on earthworm abundance with distance from hedgerows was recorded for arable fields and pasture leys at Spens farm, the University of Leeds experiment farms, Yorkshire. Sampling was carried out annual from April 2015 to April 2017 with additional sampling in December 2015, and July and October 2016. Pits were excavated and soil hand sorted for earthworms. Mustard solution was then poured into the pit and any emerging earthworms collected. All earthworms were preserved in ethanol for identification using the Sims and Gerard Field studies key. At each pit the following measurements were also taken: soil moisture, soil temperature, soil bulk density. The samples were taken to determine the influence of leys on soil quality by Miranda Prendergast-Miller and colleagues as part of the SoilBioHedge project (Grant Reference NE/M017095/1) funded by the NERC Soil Security Programme. (Grant Reference NE/M017044/1). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d3dcfd8a-918d-48a4-9511-ec832de34636
