Here at FWAG East we have to confess that our hearts rather skip a beat at the sight of a well-laid hedge. This bucolic art conjures nostalgic imaginings of times past when farmers and hedgers lovingly hand-tended to a meandering network of species-rich hedgerows weaving across a mixed farming landscape.
Of course, the reality of the work is that it is slow, hard, winter's graft, but in our view the ecological and landscape value it delivers for our hedgerows is well worth the effort!
Now that funding for hedgelaying under the Capital Grant Scheme has increased to £13.52 per metre (with an additional £5.82 per metre for top binding and staking), it has once again become a viable option for landowners considering their hedgerow management approach. It certainly makes for a more interesting approach than the annual flail.
And so, on a bright November morning, FWAG East members and guests dusted off our billhooks and gathered at Hedgelife HQ (Abbess Roding, Essex) by kind invitation of Director Ian Metson for an 'Introduction to Hedgelaying' workshop. After viewing some recently laid hedges on-farm (and witnessing some able demonstrations of the craft by Hedgelife's graphic designer-turned hedgelayer, Steve) we set to work in little gangs to lay a 25m length of ten year-old hedge.
The first task is to ‘prep’ the hedge by stripping out the bramble and removing congested branches, leaving in situ the nicely-spaced pleachers you wish to lay. I know from bitter past experience (grappling with laying the monster blackthorn hedges around my own garden) that this is the most physical and laborious part of the work - more akin to hedge-judo than country-craft. However it is important to choose the most suitable pleachers to retain and create enough space to swing the old bill hook when laying-time comes.
Then the real fun starts, We began to lay the hedge in the traditional South of England method (which creates a brush on both sides) using billhooks and pruning saws. We were shown how to ‘conservation lay’ a hedge using a chain saw to make a horizontal cut and then simply push the hedge over. This method is quicker but will not result in such successful reestablishment, as more pleachers are likely to be lost due to the horizontal angle of the cut (and destabilising effect of wind rock, especially if not staking and binding). Instead we persevered with the old ways and in no time at all had the makings of a professionally laid hedge.
Then it was time to stake and bind - a proper job this! We pointed hazel stakes with our billhooks (the stakes cost £1 each - another good reason to bring neglected hazel coppice back into management) and used willow binders to finish the hedge along the top by weaving them in and out of the stakes.
With thanks to Ian Metson and the team at Hedgelife. Fuelled by cake, sausage rolls and a thirst for knowledge, it was a most enjoyable morning and we hope to run further such workshops in our other counties.
If you don't have the energy or the skill to lay your own hedges you would be forgiven, but you may wish to consider the capital grant payments for hedgelaying. These have the potential to cover the costs of employing a band of professional hedgelayers, paying up to £19.34 per metre. Please get in touch if you would like more information on this scheme or the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Please note, as of Wednesday 27th November, hedgerow related capital grants fall under the part of the capital grant offer that will temporarily close to most new applications. A further update on this will be shared in early 2025. For more details: defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2024/11/27/an-update-on-capital-grants/
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