The History of Hedge Laying.

In 55BC Julius Caesar recorded the fact that the "Nervi" tribe in Flanders, "Cut into slender trees and bent them over so that many branches came out along the length; they finished this off by inserting brambles and briars, so that these hedges formed a defence like wall, which could not only not be penetrated but not even seen through". Any modern hedgelayer would be proud to have his work so described and it is clear that even at this early date the skills of the hedgelayer were highly developed. When and how did it all start? We may never know but we can guess.

Farmers who keep sheep, cattle etc are faced with the problem of keeping them in one place. Nomads wandering with their flock of sheep would have to watch them day and night to prevent them from straying. Eventually they conceived the idea of building a fence by weaving tree branches in and out of stakes driven into the ground. The use of interwoven branches has been known for many thousands of years and was used to build houses etc. Sooner or later perhaps some shepherd bent a living branch to make his fence. Perhaps the branch did not break off, and he later realised that it continued to grow.

Hedge laying as we know it today began in the 18th century. As open fields were enclosed they were marked out, first with ditches and then hedges. A hedge left to grow unchecked will eventually become a line of trees and of no use for retaining livestock. Barbed wire was unknown at that time and so ways were sought to make the hedges stock proof. Once again the skills of the hedgelayer came to the fore.

Today's hedgelayers are as much concerned with conserving our countryside as with making stock proof hedges. We now have a much greater knowledge of wildlife and how, well-managed hedges are essential to the countryside.

History of the National Hedge Laying Society.

Hedge laying declined after the 1939 -1945 war due to many factors such as the availability of labour, the introduction of machines to cut hedges, wire fences and changes in agriculture that placed emphasis on production.

By the 1960's hedges were declining at an alarming rate. Lack of maintenance meant that hedges became tall and gappy with nothing at the bottom; in effect a line of trees. Many hedges were grubbed out to make larger fields that could be more efficiently managed by larger machinery.

In the early 1970's three hedge layers Mr Fred Whitefoot, Mr Clive Matthew, and Miss Valerie Greaves realised that soon the valuable skills of hedgerow management that had been acquired over hundreds of years would be lost forever.

These founder members conceived the idea of setting up a National Society to enable the skills to be documented, and passed on to others. Competitions were organised all over the country. A National Competition is now an annual event.

The Society has over 400 members, some are professional contractors whilst others practice hedge laying as a hobby, helping out as volunteers at many national nature reserves and conservation site.

Legislation was introduced in 1997 to help protect hedgerows. The decline has now been halted and between 1998 and 2004 over 4000km were replanted and almost 7000km of hedgerow restored*.

Maintenance of hedgerows is now part of good farming practice and the skills of the hedge layer are in great demand. *

Source DEFRA.

Why are hedges laid?

Laying hedges is just one of the techniques in managing hedgerows. Other techniques include "Trimming" and "Coppicing" (Cutting off at ground level to encourage the hedge to regenerate). Left unmanaged a hedgerow will continue to grow upwards and outwards and will eventually become a line of trees.

Where farmers keep cattle or sheep a good hedge is essential, for although barbed wire fences can easily be erected they do not provide shelter like a hedge. Hedges are also important for our wildlife and for their scenic value. A well-managed hedgerow is thick and bushy, an impenetrable barrier to sheep and cattle and a haven for wildlife.

Cattle will lean against a hedge and make gaps whilst Sheep push through the base, hedge laying prevents this. The cut stems, which are bent over at an angle, prevent the sheep pushing through the stakes driven into the hedge and the binding along the top makes the fence strong to resist the weight of cattle.

Laying the hedge also tidies it up and encourages the shrubs to regenerate keeping the hedge bushy and healthy. Once a hedge has been laid regular trimming will keep it in good order for up to 50 years when it may be appropriate to lay the hedge again, or even coppice it.

Why are there different styles?
There are different styles of hedge laying in different parts of the UK. Each style has been developed over many years to cope with the climate of the area, different farming practices and the type of trees and shrubs that grow in the hedge. There are more than thirty styles recorded in the UK plus others in France, Germany and Holland.

Each year the National Championship tests the skills of the hedge layer on eight of the main styles in current use. The following are brief descriptions and details may vary even within the same region.

Midland Bullock.
Farms with large animals, e.g. cattle and horses need hedges able to withstand the weight of the animal pushing against them, styles such as the Sussex Bullock and Midland Bullock were developed for this purpose. With a finished height of 4ft 6 Ins, the stakes are driven into the ground 18 Inches apart behind the stool (stem) line towards the brush (bushy) side. Hazel binders are woven along the top to give maximum strength. The livestock would be in the field behind the brush side of the hedge with a crop on the other side (face or plough side).

Welsh Border.
This is a double brush hedge with stakes driven in at 35-degree slant, 30" apart. Dead wood is used in the hedge to protect the regrowth from being browsed by stock. The dead wood and live layers are bound down the centre line, with top and side of hedge being trimmed.

Derbyshire.
The brush (bushy growth) is placed to the livestock side. Sawn timber stakes are used instead of Hazel and are driven in on the brush side of the stools (stems) 30 to 36ins apart. There are no bindings but the hedge is trimmed to give a finished height of 4ft. The base of the hedge around the stools is dug over to remove intrusive weeds and encourage the bottom growth needed to restrain sheep.

South of England.
This hedge is cut and laid over to create a double brush. A single line of stakes 18" apart in the centre of the hedge with the top bound. Both sides of the hedge are trimmed.

Lancashire & Westmorland.
The hedges needed to be well maintained for both cattle and sheep. Stakes are placed about 18ins apart on alternate sides of the hedge with the pleachers (stems) laid between at approx 45 degrees. The pleachers are woven around the stakes and the hedge finished to a height of at least 3ft 6ins the hedge is square cut.

Yorkshire.
If the crop rotation is of an arable bias, as in parts of Yorkshire a very thin hedge may be laid as no stock would be held in fields against the hedge for up to five years, this gives the laid hedge time to regenerate before the threat of grazing off by stock. This hedge is used in sheep/arable rotation, with arable rotation being used when the hedge is first laid. The hedge is cut close to the ground with plenty of thickness of material in the bottom. Sawn stakes and rails are used to finish the hedge.

Devon.
This hedge is normally laid on top of a bank (which normally forms the main barrier against livestock) the densely packed brush designed to keep sheep and lambs secure. This style uses crooked hazel sticks to secure hedge and binders.

North Somerset.
A row of Stakes placed alternately on either side of the hedge holds the stems in place with some being woven around the stakes.

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The Society publishes a book "Hedge Laying Explained" which gives details of many of the different styles and techniques used in laying. A Video/DVD is also available showing some of the styles and techniques, explained by the craftsman who lay them. We also operate an "Accreditation" scheme to ensure that commercial hedgelayers are able to match the levels of skill required to be called "Craftsman".