FEATURE
Hedges are back
– AND YOU CAN LEARN TO LAY ONE Catherine Roth talks to a man who has been laying ‘traditional’ hedges for many years – and now teaches others to do it.
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RADITIONALLY-LAID hedges draw on age-old techniques to ensure the provision of effective barriers for livestock – and they can last for hundreds of years. It is a craft well known to Iain Thistlethwaite, who works as a Trails Ranger for the Peak District National Park and has been laying hedges for the various conservation organisations he’s worked for over the past 25 years. He also enjoys passing on his skills to others by teaching countryside courses – including hedge laying, woodland management, tree felling, bird and tree 88 Reflections February 2024
identification and woodland ecology – at the Eco Centre at Middleton-by-Wirksworth. Hedges not only mark boundaries and provide barriers but are wildlife corridors for a wide variety of species including small mammals, birds, insects and plants. A well-laid hedge provides a stock-proof barrier which will last far longer than other alternatives. For example, fence posts may need replacing after 10 years whilst hurdles can last just five to six years. Once a hedge has been established it will last for hundreds of years if properly maintained. This is far longer than if it was left to grow into individual trees. Species such as hazel, blackthorn and hawthorn will likely only last for just over a hundred years if grown as stand-alone trees. Iain says: “There is higher conservation
Above: A newly-laid hedge at Carsington. Left: Iain Thistlethwaite, who has been laying hedges over the past 25 years. Below: Blackthorn – one of the most effective trees to use on Derbyshire hedges.