Projects
Rural Crafts Revival - Hedge Laying
What is Hedge Laying?
This term is given to the cutting and maintenance of hedges. Hedges were created
to mark out land ownership but primarily, to keep animals in fields. However close stems in
a hedgerow are to each other, some animals still manage to push through. By cutting the base
of each stem partly through and bending the whole plant sideways, the space between is effectively
sealed / blocked. As well as the cut stems remaining alive, new stems shoot up vertically from
the heel / stump of the hedge and from the bent over branches, produce a lattice of diagonal
and vertical stems, creating a very solid barrier.
Hedges are crucial habitats for all sorts of wildlife and like dry stone walls, are cut / styled in a
way particular to the county in which they are found, and therefore are part of the visual language of
our landscape.
Its good and definately better when everyone joins in.
Tom Goodwin, 14
