Other regional and local styles

This chapter gives brief descriptions of regional and local styles of hedge laying, other than the Midlands, Welsh and South Western styles.

Some of the styles are recognised and ‘formalised’ in hedge laying competitions, whereas others are local styles possibly only practised by a few individuals. Hedge laying styles have developed in response to local needs of stock control, the type of hedge growth, the need for drainage ditches and banks, and through individual preference. There seems to be general agreement about basic stylistic differences such as single or double brushed, stakes or crops, binding or no binding, but details may vary between individual accounts. The following details have been gathered from individual hedgers, competition details, and from publications including Greaves (National Hedgelaying Society, undated), and Pollard, Hooper and Moore (1974). In spite of this handbook and other hedging publications, it is likely that much of the knowledge has been passed on ‘in the field’, through farm workers, contractors and volunteers being taught the skills by local hedgers, and through observation of styles in their area.

There is overlap and blending of styles, and no reason why, for example, a hedge in Somerset can’t be laid in the Westmorland style, by a person from Essex. However, most hedgers like to feel they are continuing a local tradition, by using the style which has developed in their area.

For descriptions and illustrations of the various hedge features and materials given in the details below, see here. Local terms for describing hedge laying have been used in the details below. For clarity, brush has been mainly omitted from the diagrams.

Devon

Most Devon hedges are turfed banks, with or without shrubs growing on them. This style has a double row of shrubs along the ‘crown’ of the bank. It’s laid quite flat, with crooks to secure, set an angle with the crook inwards so that cattle cannot hook them out. For more information on turfed banks, see chapter 13.

Dorset (1)

This is a low wide hedge on a bank, a style developed to control and shelter sheep on downland. The pleachers are laid as low as possible, criss-crossing to expose the brush on both sides. The pleachers are held by crooks placed along the centre, or by long lengths of hazel tucked under a pleacher on one side, and passed over the hedge and tucked under the other side.

Dorset (2)

In this style, the pleachers are laid both ways. This is presumably a response to laying a hedge with widely spaced stools, as it is not normally possible to lay, for example, to the right, if you are working along the hedge to the right, as the cut pleacher will get entangled in the stems yet to be laid. A suggested method, starting from the left hand end of the hedge is as follows. Lay as much of the first stool as you want into the gap on the right, laying them fairly low. Cut away the rest. At the next stool to the right, lay the left hand material to the left, laying it as necessary over the pleachers from the first stool. Lay the right hand pleachers to the right, laying them fairly flat, and so on along the hedge. The pleachers are held down by crooks. The finished effect is not as neat as a hedge laid in one direction, but a good thick hedge can result.

Dorset/Wiltshire

This is similar to the Dorset (1) style described above, but not laid on a bank. The pleachers are simply laid to form a low wide hedge, roughly semi-circular in cross section.

Stakes and bindings are not normally needed, as the weight of the brushwood keeps the laid hedge in position. Crooks or baler twine can be used to anchor sections as thought necessary. The resulting hedge is very dense, and proof against sheep.

Somerset

This style has two rows of stakes, placed alternately on both sides of the hedge. The pleachers are laid between the rows of stakes, but the nearest pleacher to each stake is taken around the outside of the stake, to hold it firmly in position. Normally the ends of the pleachers are laid between the rows of stakes, but they can be angled out to one side to give a brushed side as necessary for protection against stock.

Isle of Wight

In this style, the pleachers are laid fairly flat, to form a hedge roughly semi-circular in cross-section, about 3’ high and about 2ft wide. The pleachers are secured by crooks set on either side.

South of England (1)

The South of England style is ‘double brushed’, that is with brush left on both sides. It can be used as a sheep or bullock fence, but where used against sheep, tends to have the pleachers laid at a lower angle to provide a barrier to lambs, and to protect regrowth on both sides of the hedge from being nibbled. There is normally no ditch or bank. The pleachers are laid at an angle of 30-40 degrees, crossing over at the top, and may stay alive for five years or more. The stakes run directly down the centre of the hedge. A strong and intricate binding is used (see below). The height of the hedge to the top of the bindings is normally about 3’6” (1.1m). The finished hedge is very sturdy and looks extremely attractive, both when newly laid and in the first season of growth, when it tends to look more natural than a single brushed style. This style is used in Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The Surrey Hedgelaying Group is active in promoting the style.

The following description of the South of England binding has been contributed by Paul Blissett, from Bedfordshire.

South of England binding

1. Ensure stakes are straight and evenly spaced, about 15-18” (380-460mm) apart. The stakes should follow a line as close to the centre of the hedge as possible.
2. Always start working with the butt end of each binder.
3. Starting in front of the first stake, weave the first binder around each stake, alternating front and back, for the whole length of the binder.
4. Repeat with the second binder, starting on top of the first binder and behind the first stake.
5. The third binder starts above the second binder and in front of the first stake, as for the first binder.
6. The fourth binder goes on top and follows the line of the second binder.
7. Moving on to the second stake, push the thick end of the fifth binder underneath the top two binders and tuck it behind the second stake to hold the end secure. The fifth binder now becomes the new top binder, coming up over the other binders in front of the third stake. It is then woven in as for the other binders.
8. Repeat step 7 for each successive stake.
9. When all the binders have been positioned, use the flat edge of a billhook to make the binding as tight as possible, and level along the length of the hedge. The binding should finish about 3’ 6” (1.1m) above the ground.
10. Trim the sides of the hedge to give an even appearance. Ensure the brush does not obscure the binding.
11. In the example illustrated, laying started from the left, laying to the left and working to the right. Trim each stake off 2” (50mm) above the binding, angling the cut down to the right. Then make a smaller angled cut down to the left as shown.

South of England (2)

This style, used in Kent and Sussex, has developed from the old Sussex bullock hedge, which was a hedge laid in quite a rough fashion, double-brushed, with the stems laid down the middle of the hedge line. This was staked and heathered to provide a stock barrier on both sides. The South of England hedge has the brush on both sides tidied by trimming, but still leaving the hedge stockproof from both sides against cattle and sheep.

The following description has been contributed by the South of England Hedgelaying Society.

The pleachers are ‘split’ from about 18” (450mm) down to ground level, and laid at an angle of 45 degrees. The split is trimmed and left smooth for good regrowth. The stakes are 5’6” (1.7m) long, set at two to the yard intervals along the middle line of the hedge. The binding can be done as in a Midlands style (p78), or as in the South of England style above. The stakes are trimmed to the finished hedge height of 4’ (1.24m). Finally the brush is trimmed, leaving 15” (380mm) width on either side of the stakes.

Midland arable

This style, described by Pollard, Hooper and Moore (1974), is a version of the Midlands style, used where both sides are ungrazed by bullocks for at least a year after laying. The stakes are put along the centre line, instead of to the brush side as normal, so the growth comes up both sides of the laid pleachers. The brush is set to one side as normal, and bullocks can be grazed on this side after one year. The resulting hedge is very dense. This method is useful on a young hedge, about 10 years old, which can be subsequently trimmed to an A-shape. The hedge should then not need to be laid again for a long time.

Worcestershire

This is a single brushed style, 3’6” high, used in mixed farming areas. The stakes are put just to the brush side of the stools. A single binding is used, with the pleachers trimmed level with the binding.

Staffordshire

Stakes follow almost the same line as the stools, and more of the pleachers are woven between the stakes than in the Worcestershire style. Instead of adding binding, the tops of the pleachers are twisted together on top and threaded back down into the hedge. The brush is trimmed level and close to the stakes.

Derbyshire

Sawn square stakes are used, set just to the brush side of the stools. The pleachers are woven very firmly, so no binding is needed to hold them in place. The brush is retained to protect the far side of the hedge, but trimmed to the height of the top of the hedge. In competitions, the hedge is finished with a neat border, like a garden border, dug along the face side of the stools.

Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire

This has an A shaped cross-section, possibly to provide least resistance to the wind. The stakes are set about 12” (300mm) from the centre line, and the pleachers angled out to the field side. The brush is then trimmed up to give an A shape cross-section.

The descriptions of the following northern styles of hedging (apart from Yorkshire 2) have been contributed by Heather Swift.

Cheshire

This is a thin, narrow, single brushed and single staked style, typically 3’ 6” (1.1m) high, but only 9” (230mm) wide. The pleachers are usually laid at an angle of 45 degrees. The stakes are often square, sawn softwood, about 1.5” (40mm), placed vertically 3” (75mm) off the line of stools, and about 20” (500mm) apart. The brush should be carefully nicked and trimmed, to be even, although not dense, and just 6” (150mm) wide. To hold the top of the pleacher in place, thin twine or wire can be wound round the top of the pleacher and the stake. ‘Whites’ are encouraged, and should all ‘shine the same way’. Deadwood is not permitted.

The newly laid hedge requires protection from stock on both sides for a while, although the brush side is less vulnerable. The style works best on young, narrow hedges, and is used mainly in mixed arable/dairy areas.

Lancashire and Westmorland

This style is very common throughout all of Lancashire, south Cumbria (the old county of Westmorland), and the Craven area of Yorkshire, around Settle. It is a thick, wide, double brushed and double staked hedge, typically about 3’-3’6” wide, and the same height. The liggers (pleachers) are laid down the centre of the hedge over the stools, at an angle of 45 degrees or more, with the ends of the pleachers and the brush running along the outside of the hedge, and just covering the stakes. The stakes are vertical, in a double staggered row, spaced as shown.

The aim is to create a ‘natural’ looking, square-shaped hedge, that has brush all round. The liggers are covered by brush, and all nicks and cuts are hidden so no ‘white’ shows. The hazel or ash stakes are usually small, up to 2” (50mm) diameter, to blend with the hedge.

This style is designed mainly to keep in sheep and lambs. It is especially effective for laying gnarled, stunted hedges, where, for example, the Midlands style of straight, parallel pleachers would be hard to achieve. In exposed areas, the value of the shelter given by such a wide hedge outweighs the loss of pasture.

Deadwood is used to fill in awkward gaps and make the hedge stockproof, but its use may be penalised in competitions. Often the old pleachers will survive until the next laying, when they can be incorporated into the hedge again.

Cumberland

This style is common in north Cumbria (formerly Cumberland). It is normally grown on a bank, and forms a sparse, low hedge, with very little brush. The actual hedge may be only 1’ (300mm) in height, but up to 3’ (900mm) in width, covering the bank. The pleachers are laid almost flat, and straight down the line of the stools. A lot of trimming is needed to get the pleachers this low. Stakes are usually hazel or ash, placed about 2’ (600mm) apart, often in a double row, although there are no strict rules. Baler twine is often tied from stake to stake over the hedge to hold everything in place for a couple of years. Dead wood is not used. The hedge requires initial protection from grazing, but if on a bank, will be stockproof against sheep after a couple of years. This style works best on young, thin growth.

Yorkshire (1)

This style is widespread throughout Yorkshire, except in the Craven area, around Settle. It is a thin, single staked style, typically about 3’ (900mm) high, but only 6” (150mm) wide, with nearly all the brush trimmed away.

The pleachers are laid straight down the centre of the hedge over the stools, at an angle of about 45 degrees. The branches are nicked, bent and tightly held into the narrow line of the hedge, before being cut off cleanly and abruptly. The stakes are usually square or rectangular sawn softwood, and are put in about 2’ (600mm) apart, directly in line with the stools. Finally, a sawn softwood rail is nailed horizontally along the top of the stakes, and the nails clenched at the back of each stake. The rail can go either side of the stake, but should ideally be level and straight.

No deadwood at all is permitted, but sturdy twigs, about 1” (25mm) diameter and 1’ (300mm) long are often slotted vertically through the hedge to hold nicked branches in line. The finished hedge requires protection from grazing for a couple of years, but regrows extremely well, and with dense growth can contain cattle. This style works best with good, straight, fairly young pleachers.

Yorkshire (2)

This is a double brushed style, about 2’ (600mm) high, set between two rows of alternately staggered stakes.

Motorway

A new style of hedging has developed for laying hedges bordering motorways. These hedges are often backed by a post and rail fence. The pleachers are secured by a piece of cut wood inserted through the brush and hooked under the top rail of the fence. No stakes or binding are necessary, which reduces the costs, time included, of laying the hedge. Hedges near motorways and other busy roads tend to be laid in the same direction as the flow of traffic.