Hedge Laying at Beningbrough

An illustrated look at a traditional technique - hedge laying - with volunteer gardener Bob Mansfield.

Hedge laying is a technique originally designed to produce a hedge with is uniformly dense to stop livestock escaping from fields.  If left to grow, hawthorn hedges grow into small trees and shed lower branches, leaving gaps – even if regularly trimmed the gaps still appear over time. Nowadays, stock fencing is used to control livestock – wire fencing attached to posts, which is far quicker and cheaper than the labour intensive process of hedge laying.

So why do it?  For the Trust there are a number of good reasons.  First, it looks better over time.  A well layed hedge forms a dense and uniform barrier which is much more in keeping with a rural environment.  Second, as part of the Trust’s conservation policy, hedge laying represents a traditional and complex craft which is considered to be worth preserving – reviving and maintaining skills which have, to the most part, disappeared.

The hedges which have been layed over a two year period can be seen on the north side of Beningbrough gate. The photographs show the most recent hedge laying session from January 2012.

The hedge before staring work.  These are 10 year old hawthorns which have grown, haphazardly, into a tangles mass with the typical ‘gaps’ at the base.

The first step is to cut back most of the side and top growth – here Mark and Tom are busy taking out the unwanted material.  Notice the stock fence in front of the hedge.

The thinning finished, Mark moves to the front of the section to start the laying.

The first cut.  A billhook (like a small axe) is used to cut the base of the trunk at an angle

When almost, but not quite cut through, the trunk is carefully pulled to the horizontal (layed) – new shoots will emerge from the cut sections, filling the gaps which would otherwise be left if the hawthorn were left untreated.

Partly down the first section showing the ‘layed’ trunks.

In go the posts to hold the layed branches in place.

As the work progresses the branches are woven around the posts.

Finally, ‘binders’ are woven between the posts to keep the whole structure in place.  The binders are hazel branches which are very supple.  Over time, and as the hedge grows, the posts and binders will rot away.

 

 

 

Job done – one well layed hedge being admired by head gardener Des Cotton.