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Hedgelaying is a traditional form of hedgerow management. It involves the partialsevering of woody plants, at a point just above ground level. The cut stems, known aspleachers or plashers, are then laid over and interwoven to form a living fence. Mostbroadleaved woody shrubs and trees can be successfully laid including, hawthorn,blackthorn, holly, hazel, ash, and rose. Coppicing is a more drastic form of managementinvolving the cutting back of plants to ankle height. It is used on plants which are beyondlaying. When successful it results in the growth of new stems from the stump .

A casual assessment ofold hedges in theCounty reveals thathedgelaying was at onetime far more widelypracticed than today(Illustration 1) . Incommon with manylabour intensiveagricultural practices ithas declined inpopularity since thesecond world war as

mainenance by mechanical trimmers and the use ofwire fences have come to be seen as more cost effectivealternatives.

Recently, interest has been renewed in hedgelayingas a result of changing priorities in countrysidepolicy. Coupled with the recognition that manyhedges, widely regarded as being a key componentin the character of the English countryside, are indecline due to neglect and poor management.

why lay hedgesIn the past, hedgelaying was a routine managementoperation undertaken to maintain hedges in astockproof condition. It also has a key role to play inensuring the long term survival of hedgerows.Periodic laying can greatly increase the naturallifespan of hedgeplants, the process stimulates thegrowth of new shoots and can reinvigorate all but themost senile of plants.

Hedges which are allowed to grow out will over timeget thin at the base and in the continued absence ofmanagement grow out into lines of trees with littlevalue as a fence. Eventually plants start to die off(Illustration 2) and gaps develop. If no action istaken, the hedge will ultimately disappear. This formof neglect is one of the main causes of hedgerowdecline.

Hedges can be kept in a functional state for aconsiderable period of time by trimming alone butultimately start to get thin at the base losing theirability to contain stock. If no remedial treatment isapplied, the plants will in time lose their vigour andstart to die off. This process is accelerated wheretrimming is particularly severe. The increasinglywidespread presence of gaps in many trimmedhedges bears testimony to this ongoing process.

Hedgelaying (or coppicing) is essential to the longterm survival of hedgerows. When used inconjunction with an appropriate trimming regimehedges can be maintained in a functional, vigourousstate indefinitely. In the long run this approach ismore cost effective than fencing and offers greaterbenefits in the form of shelter for stock and cover forgame and other wildlife.

2: Old unmanaged hedge line in decline1: Old pleachers in a Teesdale hedge

3: A heavily trimmed hege showing the development ofgaps

Introduction

Ultimately all hedges require laying if they are to beretained. How frequently it should be undertakenwill depend on the rate of growth and whether or notthe hedge is required to serve as a stock proof barrier.

Ideally hedges should be laid when the untrimmedstems reach 2.4 -5m (8-16') high with a stemdiameter at base between 50-100mm (2- 4").Depending upon soil and the climate, with a newhedge this will usually be achieved after 8 -15 years,with previously laid hedges between 7-12 years.Hedges which are older and larger than this can belaid successfully but require more skill and time andconsequently entail more expense.

For some hedges it may be worth consideringcoppicing, this involves the felling of hedges to ankleheight. This is discussed in more detail in a latersection. This is the most pragmatic option wherestems prove to be very brittle, or unmanageablylarge as in illustration 2 overleaf.

Hedges which have been maintained by trimming canusually be successfully laid although it will generallyrequire the suspension of trimming of the hedge topfor 2-5 years to allow sufficient leader shoot growthto develop. In the interim the sides can be kepttrimmed if required. Older hedges whose bases havebecome particularly gnarled with time and or suffereddamage from sheep or patch up fencing jobs mayrealistically only be salvageable by coppicing(Illustration 4).

Hedge management is best undertaken during theplant's dormant season i.e. between mid -Octoberand the end of March. Periods of extended frostshould be avoided whilst high winds can make thecut plants unmanageable. The laying of old brittleplants and coppicing, particularly of moribund plantsis best undertaken in March or even early April whenthe sap is rising, though consideration must then begiven to the possible disturbance of nestingbirds.Wherever possible work should be undertakenin the later months of the season as many birds,particularly members of the thrush family, relyheavily on hawthorn berries as a winter foodresource.

It is particularly important to the wildlife on afarm that work be programmed on a rotationalbasis, it can have a significant negative impact onboth the landscape and the wildlife if all the hedgeson a holding receive management at the same time. Ifcoppicing, it may be appropriate to leave a number ofmature shrubs in the hedge line (one every 10-20m)to minimise the impact on wildlife and the landscape.These could be coppiced at a later date. There arealso advantages to be gained from having hedges atvarying stages of growth. This provides a wider rangeof habitat conditions which is likely to encourage amore diverse range of wildlife on the farm.

The following section discusses and describes theactual process of hedgelaying, it aims to providebackground information to supplement the technicalguidance card on this topic. It is not intended tosuggest that the use of these documents alone willenable the novice to undertake hedgelaying withoutsome form of instruction. Hedgelaying is a skilledcraft particularly when it involves the laying of largerplants. Expert advice and instruction should besought. Contacts are provided on the companiontechnical guidance card.

As with many crafts hedgelaying is partly a scienceand partly an artistic endeavour. As such there aremany different views on how a hedge should be laid'properly'. It is not unusual to put two experiencedand able hedgelayers together and get two stronglyargued cases for the superior merits of one or otherapproach. Generally however disagreements arise onthe basis of what may be described as stylisticdifferences with certain key elements being commonand integral to all styles.

Local styles Not all styles aim to provide an immediate barrierwhen laying. Variations in farming practices andrequirements have led to a variety of styles evolvingin different parts of the country. For example theCumberland and some Northumberland stylestraditionally involved the hedge being laid very 'hard'i.e. with the loss of much ofthe 'body' of the plants(Illustration 5).

Practiced in its mostextreme form theCumberland style involvesstripping all the sidebranches off a plant, withonly the main stem beinglaid and this being put downvery low. This approachevolved with traditionalcrop rotations where fieldswere alternated betweenpastoral and arable usage.Hedges were laid during thearable phase allowing themtime to grow up before theywere required to retain stockagain.

4: Old hedge showing deformed growth form resultingfrom poor management practices.

Timing of operations

The craft of hedgelaying

5: Hard-laid hedge. Cumberland style

Assessing the suitability ofhedges for laying

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It contrasts strongly with the Midlands or 'standard',hedge traditionally a cattle hedge, where plants arelaid to form a high hedge 1.35m (4' 6") as an instantbarrier.

Ultimately all styles aimto create a hedgeimpenetrable to stock,whether in the short orlong term. Central to theachievement of this isthe laying over of stemsfrom just above groundlevel (Illustration 6).This is a critical featureof successfulhedgelaying and thecommonest mistakeseen in untrained orpoorly trained hedgers.If stems are laid toohigh off the ground thenit is generallyimpossible to fill thebottom of the hedgeproperly. This canprovide stock with theopportunity to forcetheir way under thehedge (Illustration 7) .

In the long term failureto lay at the correctpoint also creates

problems for the next person to lay the hedge as mostof the new growth which will form the next crop ofstems for laying; commonly described as 'pleachers'or 'plashers'; will sprout from just below the point atwhich the stem is laid over. This makes it difficultfor the next person to avoid repeating the mistake.

In some cases itmay proveimpossible to layevery plantsufficiently low.Where this is thecase, care shouldbe taken toensure that somenew growth arisesfrom the base of

the plant. This can be accomplished by cutting a nickin the stump 50-125mm (2-5") above ground(Illustration 8).

If large numbers of plants in the hedge can only belaid high it may be necessary to root lay. Instead ofcutting into the plants stem the root system isexposed and partially severed to enable the hedgelayer to lay the plant in the required direction(Illustration 9).

Cutting is traditionally undertaken with a ‘billhook’or axe, most modern practitioners will supplementthese tools with a chainsaw. The cut is made on theopposite side of the face to the direction of lay. Thisis largely determined by the site conditions and the

'handedness' of the hedge layer, right handed workersinvariably lay to their left when possible. Where notdictated by site restrictions, direction is largely amatter of personal preference. But if the hedge is ona significant slope plants are always laid uphill.Where there is a strong prevailing wind and no betterreason for doing otherwise it is preferable to lay theplants with the wind as their natural growth form willincline them to lay over more easily in this direction.

It is important that the attachment of the pleacher tothe stump is secure and that the remaining cambiumlayer, (Illustration 10) effectively the plumbingsystem of the plant, be undamaged.

Stems should be laid over rather than forced. Theskill of hedgelaying lies in determining the optimumdepth of cut required for a given stem, this being atthe point where the pleacher can be laid using littlemore than its own weight. Pleachers which havebeen forced or laid whilst still too thick will eithersplit back on themselves up the stem or split downinto the ground ,both of these outcomes areconsidered undesirable, particularly the latter as it isbelieved to encourage rot in the base of the plant.(Illustration 11) Obviously pleachers which havebeen cut too far through run the risk of beinginsufficiently attached to the stump to survive.

6: Large stem showing the pliable 'hinge' startingjust above ground level

9: Root laying

Large stems too brittle or otherwise difficult to layconventionally can be dealt with by exposing the rootsystem, severing those at the front and the back of thestem (relative to the direction of laying) and base andside roots as required until the plant can be manoeuvredinto the desired position.

7: Stem laid too high, easy for lambs to find theirway under

Illustration 10

8: Re-growth will come from below notch

The cambium and some of the sapwood mustremain intact.

BarkBastCambiumSapwoodHeartwood

Re-growth

Notch

11: Stem insufficiently flexible has split downwards whenlaying over has been attempted

Having laid the stemover there will be astub remaining at theback of the pleacher,these should alwaysbe removed, being cutdown to the point atwhich the split startsand at an angle whichleads rainwater awayfrom the split(Illustration 12) .

Experiencedpractitioners willtend to use an axe orbillhook to remove

the stump, beginners are advised to use a bowsawuntil they gain proficiency with their tools. Largestumps are more easily removed by chainsaws.

Removing the stump prevents material fromgathering in the split thereby reducing theopportunities for rot to occur in the stool. It alsoensures that any re- growth at the back of the stoolwill arise from the base. (Illustration 13)

Angle of lay The angle at which pleachers are laid varies from thehorizontal to 45 degrees. This is largely dependentupon the style of the hedger but will also varyaccording to the initial condition of the hedge.

Gappy hedgesandparticularlyovergrownhedges (oftenthe two gotogether) willoften requirepleachers to belaid to theground in orderto fill the gaps(Illustration14).

Effectively it is inappropriate to talk about a correctangle for pleachers to be laid. Different styles havetheir proponents but it is of more importance that thehedge be laid in accordance with the key principlesof good practice and that it fulfils its function. Froman aesthetic perspective it is preferable to havecontinuity in any single hedge.

Whilst there are many regional variations inhedgelaying all styles can be broadly categorised onthe basis of whether the stems are laid over the stoolsin line with the hedge, or either, have all of thepleachers offset on one side (single brushing) orpleachers offset alternately on both sides of thehedge line (double brushing).

Laying over the stools Most northern styles tend to lay with the line of thehedge (Illustration 15). With this approachsuccessive stems are laid directly over the stools ofpreviously laidplants, providingprotection fromstock for the newbasal shoots. As thenew growthemerges it grows upthrough the layersof material abovelocking these firmlyin place. The endresult is anexceedingly denseand robust hedge.

This method is notwithout its critics,laying over thestools retards new basal growth due to the shade castby the covering layers. This means that much of thestrong new growth arises from the laid stems ratherthan the base of the plant which can restrict thenumber of new pleachers available when the hedgeis next to be laid. In practice this is usually not asignificant problem and can be dealt with by relayingthe old existing stems and then laying the newgrowth off these. One undeniable problem of thisstyle is that it can be very difficult to disentangle thestems when it comes to relaying the hedge.

Single brushing Single brushed styles are the norm in the midlandsand south east of the country, being epitomised bythe 'Midlands' or'standard' hedge.Single brushingworks best wherethe hedge has beenplanted in a singlerow. It involveslaying all of thepleachers just outof line with thehedge in order tocreate a barrier tostock on one sidewith the stumpsbeing exposed onthe other(Illustration 16).

14: Stems laid into a gap, showing re-growth along their length, in time thiswill provide a new generation ofpleachers allowing the filling of thissection of hedge.

15 Northumbrian style sheep hedge as demonstrated byGordon Hodgson at first County Durham hedgelayingcompetition. This craftsman has used no stakes preferringinstead to weave the bushy ends of the pleachers back intothe hedge to make it secure.

13: Stubs removed showing re-growth from the base ofthe stool

16: A Yorkshire style as demonstrated by Jasper Pratchek atthe first County Durham hedgelaying competition, note theuse of a rail nailed to the stakes to prevent pleachers fromrising or being lifted by stock

12: Cleaning off the stub

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Such styles rely heavily on staking in order to retainthe pleachers in place and to provide them withadditional support, gained by weaving the pleachersbetween the stakes. They tend to have a greaterfinished height having evolved mainly as 'bullockfences'. This system avoids any problems of newgrowth suppression by ensuring there is plenty oflight available at the base of the plant to stimulatenew shoots. At the same time it ensures that there isready access to these new shoots when the timecomes to relay the hedge. The main disadvantagewith single brushing is that where stock are kept onboth sides of a hedge the new growth from the baseis exposed to damage from grazing animals and willrequire protection.

Double brushingDouble brushing is a traditional pattern seen in sheepcountry, particularly in Wales and to a lesser extentthose English counties bordering the principality. Inpractice it often blurs with simply laying over thestumps. When undertaken in its purest form itinvolves laying pleachers out alternately on bothsides of the hedge, weaving the main stem around astake and using the bushy end of the plant to protectthe stumps of previously laid pleachers. This resultsin a wider hedge with a denser base which incommon with the northern English styles is generallylaid lower than the Midlands style. Similar criticismsare made of the approach as of the laid in line stylebut once again it is possible to create a very denseeffective barrier.

In County Durham there is scant evidence for astrong and distinct regional style of hedgelaying.What evidence there is, in the form of therecollections and practices of older farmers and thevisual evidence of old pleachers in hedges, is derivedmainly from the traditional sheep farming areas. Itsuggests a relatively uncomplicated approach. Withhedges being laid low ( 20-25 degrees) and over thestumps. Stakes were employed in various patterns orsimply not used with the more pliable material beingintertwined to provide strength. Binding,(Illustration 17) the practice of interweaving hazel

rods between stakes along the top of the hedge toprevent cattle lifting the hedge, appears to have beenseldom used.

The preservation of distinct cultural landscapesisan issue of widespread and justifiable interest,hedges are an important component of our landscapeheritage. Where there is a local style of managementwhich influences their appearance in the landscape itis preferable, where practical, to continue thatpractice. In the case of County Durham there doesnot appear to be a strong case for arguing thathedgelaying should take a particular form. Howeverit is suggested that the following points be taken intoaccount.

Whatever style or hybrid of styles is adopted thework should be undertaken in accordance with thebasic principles of good practice common to allstyles. If the hedge is to contain sheep it is better togo for a low wide style in order to ensure a densestockproof base. This often offers benefits in theform of cover to wildlife and game. Dead woodshould be left in the hedge base as this is a valuablefood resource for many invertebrates (Illustrate 18).

Where stock are kept on both sides of a hedge, in theabsence of a ditch it is necessary to lay over thestumps or to double brush. Hedges which are onlyrequired to be stockproof on one side may be worthsingle brushing if the stakes are available,particularly if the hedge is likely to be laid again.Binding such hedges is unnecessary except wherecattle have immediate access to the hedge and whilstnot unattractive in itself is not considered particularlydesirable, particularly in the dales where it is feltunlikely that it would have been a traditionalpractice.

Irrespective of the style employed it should beconsistent and the hedge left in a well finisheduniform state, stray sections of material should bewoven into the hedge or trimmed off. Stakes, if usedshould be evenly spaced and set at the same height.The use of dead material to fill out the hedge inplaces is acceptable but should not form a significantcomponent of the finished hedge.

The hedgelaying tradition inCounty Durham

17 Binding is commonly seen on midland hedges but isnot generally associated with northern styles. Hedgelaid by Mike Wade

18 Large numbers of harmless invertebrates such asthis wasp beetle (Clytus arietis) feed on dead wood,such animals are an important part of the food chain© R.S. Key

Coppicing involves cutting the plant down to ankleheight, 75-125mm (3-5") off the ground(Illustration 19).

It is essentialthat stumpsare cut nohigher thanthis toensure thatre -growthcomes fromthe base ofthe plant toallow a thickbase todevelop.Stumpsshould becut cleanlyoff withoutripping thebark and atan angle(20-30

degrees) to prevent water gathering on the surfaceDepending upon how vigorous the plants are whencoppiced they should regenerate very rapidly toprovide layable stems in 6-10 years (Illustration20).

Evidently this is a drastic form of management andideally should only be undertaken afterconsultation. The survival rate can be variable and itis likely that significant replanting will be required.

Many hedgelayers do not favour coppicing hedgesas they can be more difficult to lay in the future,however in some circumstances it may be the onlyviable option. When it is successful it shares withhedgelaying the advantage of rejuvenating thehedge and extending it's life span. Successfulregeneration is likely to be best achieved byundertaking the work when the sap is starting to risein March, but before the bird nesting season.

Aftercare of laid andcoppiced hedgesWhere livestock have access to newly laid hedgesthey may require temporary fencing to preventstock from browsing the new growth, the need forthis will vary according to the initial state of thehedge and the style and ability of the craftsman.

If a hedge has been coppiced fencing is essential. Inboth cases the fence should be situated sufficientlyfar from the hedge line to prevent stock reachingthrough the wire, most grant aided schemes willspecify a required distance. Where cleavers or otherclimbers are perceived to be smothering the hedgethey should be removed.

Laid hedges can either be left to grow on until thenext time they require laying or maintained bytrimming. If the latter the machine operator shouldensure they cut above the line of any stakes andfollow the guidelines outlined in TechnicalGuidance Card 3. A well laid hedge managed bytrimming can survive up to 50 years before startingto go thin at the base and losing its stockproofqualities. Coppiced hedges when suitably re-growncan be managed as per new hedges by laying ortrimming or a combination of the two.

Coppicing

19: A good example of coppicing

20: A previously coppiced hedge prior to laying

Useful References

1. A Farmers Guide to Hedgerow and Field Boundary Management. Nick Southerton and Robin Page. The Game Conservancy Trust. 1998.

2. Field Boundaries Technical Guidance Card 1. Hedgelaying and Coppicing. Environment and Technical Services Department. Durham County Council. 2000.

3. Field Boundaries Technical Guidance Card 3. Hedgetrimming. Environment and Technical Services Department. Durham County Council. 2000.

4. Hedgelaying Explained. Valerie Greaves. National Hedgelaying Society.

5. Hedgerow Management and Nature Conservation. T.A.Watt and G.P.Buckley. Wye College Press 1994.

6. Hedging- a practical handbook. Alan Brooks and Elizabeth Agate. British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. 1998.

7. New Hedges in The Countryside. Murray Maclean. Farming Press. 1992.

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