Jan 27 Hedgelaying by Bruce By Tracy

Hedgelaying was the traditional way of managing hedges and was carried out on a rotation of about 8 to 20 years depending on the style of the hedge and owner’s time and needs. Hedges were laid for 2 main reasons, stockproofing and firewood. If stockproofing was important then hedges were laid frequently, perhaps every 8 years. Hedges planted on banks as they were in many parts of Western Britain were harvested for fuelwood perhaps every 20 years.

In order to lay the hedge the tall stems are nicked or pleached, that is cut partially through and then laid over to form a stockproof barrier normally held in place using stakes. As the job is carried out in the winter months the cut stems sprout in the spring to provide good new growth. This growth will form the new rejuvenated hedge. Different hedgelaying styles developed regionally in response to farming needs, tall hedges with central stakes for cattle and lower wider box-shapes for sheep. Hedgelaying was part of the farming year timed to coincide with crop rotations or changes in field use.

The main tool used was the billhook which has been in Britain since the Iron Age and various local patterns were developed for hedgelaying. Originally apart from a mallet to drive stakes hedges used little else. The pleaching cuts were made with the straight part of the blade while the hooked portion was used for trimming away unwanted growth.

Laid hedgerows had a particular relationship to coppice woods. Hedgers used to buy stakes and ‘ethers’ (the hazel binders used in some cattle styles) from coppice merchants. The boundary hedges surrounding the coppices would also have been laid in the past. This would have kept wandering farm stock from grazing the valuable shoots and allowed light into the plots on the edge to promote the growing shoots.

Hedgelaying is very beneficial to the wildlife of hedgerows. As new growth is promoted from the base this remains thick and provides cover for small mammals and certain birds. Hunting barn owls regularly use hedges to find their rodent prey. As the hedge is grown on before laying the extra length allows flowers and fruit to develop bringing insects and providing autumn food for thrushes. The taller hedge plants also provide sites for nesting birds. Hedgerows are very important for bats and the nightly food forays frequently follow tall hedges.

We use the traditional tools and methods as described above in our own Hedgelaying course where we restoring  a neighbouring farms hedgerows in the traditional manner. See www.coppicewoodcollege.co.uk  for details.

The course runs from Monday 15th Feb for 4 days and costs £160 it takes place in Cwm Plysgog woods near Cilgerran (Cardigan) West Wales.Nick Barnes, Principal Instructor at Coppicewood College
You can get in touch with Nick via the College by email bslark@aol.com or by phone 01239 881394