The popular image of the English countryside is a land of small fields, thick hedges and majestic oaks. It still exists in some parts of the country but scenery changes according to the agricultural practices of the day, landscapes are lost and new landscapes evolve. But sometimes, in the words of Joni Mitchell, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone".
A few months back I posted a picture of a piece of hedge laying and Jack, of "Hartford Daily Photo" fame, suggested that I might do a post about English hedges. Actually, Jack, whole books have been written on the subject but this post will have to do for now. Others may follow later in the year.
The main purpose of a hedge these days is to keep animals within a confined grazing area. Wooden fences and stone walls are also used but both are more expensive to build and maintain. In the more mountainous and rocky parts of the country stone walls are common but around here hedges of hawthorn and other trees and bushes are the norm.
A hawthorn hedge can quickly be established, in fact hawthorn is also known as quick-thorn. But the problem with any kind of hedge is that the constituent plants have no ambition to make a nice hedge. They don't want to grow cheek-by-jowl with their neighbour, intertwine their branches just above ground level, stay at a manageable height and just grow laterally. They want to spread their branches in all directions, cut out the light from their neighbours, grow up towards the sun and be trees!
If you want a hedge to remain as a hedge then you've got to do something about it; and that something is "laying" your hedge. Put simply this involves cutting part way through the wood near to ground level, bending each stem over at an angle and weaving them in and out of the remaining uprights. Sounds easy enough till you try! The result is a stock proof barrier.
Here in East Anglia farming became more and more arable with very few animals being kept. Why bother with hedges? Waste of space. Knock 'em down. Set fire to them. Have bigger and bigger fields for bigger and bigger machines. Forget Little Stargoose, Parson's Mead and The Backland. Lets plough and sow the Hundred-Acre. One species loved it - the hare. They adapted to the wide open spaces and yesterday were in full Mad-March-Hare mode, chasing one another and engaging in occasional bouts of boxing. But all so distant that my little camera had to be pushed to the limit to get anything at all.
But things are changing. Slowly we're realising what has been lost and hedges are being reinstated. Catkins are blowing in the breeze and buds are forming.
Join me again soon for another ramble - all along the hedgerow.
Never realized there was so much to the science of hedges. Here in the States most hedges are for ornamental reasons in yards and range from knee high to shoulder. They do little from keeping the neighborhood dogs and kids out from your yard.
It's a real skill to lay a hedge. I'm glad some folks are hanging on to these old crafts. Were your photos taken this weekend? If so, you had a lot better weather than us!
John, I am so glad you did follow up on the topic of hedges. In the mind of this American, hedgerows are among the first things thought of when England comes into mind. Along with fog and beefeaters. And bangers and mash. (And Helen Mirren, but that is another story . . . ) I feared that hedgerows were still declining, but your comment that people are beginning to realize what has been lost and are starting to replant hedges gives me some comfort.
I love hedgerows and have been thinking about finding a stretch of hedge and following it during this year. Easier said than done in this part of the world of course as we are in drystone wall country. In my home county of Cheshire there are plenty of hedgerows but they aren't exactly on the doorstep for me:) These days so many hedges are flailed - usually at the wrong time of the year too! - that sadly they are no longer the stock proof wildlife-rich places that they once were. It would be great to read more hedgerow posts from you. Especially a proper laid hedge!
Hedges and drystone walls have never gone from here in the Dales John as we are all primarily livestock farmers of some sort. But even in my childhood in Lincolnshire they were already grubbing out hedges to make biggerfields for the peas and the corn. It did destroy a lot of habitats - things like yellow hammers, which are quite common here where there are still hedges.
I've loved hedges since a child and am always happy to amble along looking at the seasonal changes in my local hedges. Last week I disturbed a flock of yellowhammers, such a colourful treat! Jane x
Thank you for a most interesting post, John. Hedgerows are much more beautiful than barbed wire, but two of our sons who are on a ranch in the Caribou have built seven miles of snake rail fence in the last year - not as lovely as hedges but quite picturesque and reminiscent of the romantic Old West.
Here on the East Coast of the United States, people want to plant hedgerows, often to create bird habitat. However, the birds are very obliging about carrying seeds of invasive species into the hedgerows, so the hedgerows quickly become a horrible mess of vines and multiflora roses. I'm sure that the birds don't mind, but from an ecological point of view, the hedges serve as refugia for infectious invasives that spread into the nearby woodlands.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).
Never realized there was so much to the science of hedges. Here in the States most hedges are for ornamental reasons in yards and range from knee high to shoulder. They do little from keeping the neighborhood dogs and kids out from your yard.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, John. It combines history, ecology, and cultural anthropology to be educational while being entertaining. Well done. Jim
ReplyDeleteI have seen a segment in a tv show at one time on the art of hedge-laying too. An amazing innovation really, simple and it works, given time.
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't believe I've read TWO posts about hedgerows in a week!
ReplyDeleteI must be getting more mature!
You may like to read the post:
http://goo.gl/huJ6I
It's a real skill to lay a hedge. I'm glad some folks are hanging on to these old crafts. Were your photos taken this weekend? If so, you had a lot better weather than us!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful collection of images (and fascinating information), John. I hadn't realised so much went into creating hedges! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I am so glad you did follow up on the topic of hedges. In the mind of this American, hedgerows are among the first things thought of when England comes into mind. Along with fog and beefeaters. And bangers and mash. (And Helen Mirren, but that is another story . . . ) I feared that hedgerows were still declining, but your comment that people are beginning to realize what has been lost and are starting to replant hedges gives me some comfort.
ReplyDeleteHedgerows----great habitat for birds!
ReplyDeleteI love hedgerows and have been thinking about finding a stretch of hedge and following it during this year. Easier said than done in this part of the world of course as we are in drystone wall country. In my home county of Cheshire there are plenty of hedgerows but they aren't exactly on the doorstep for me:) These days so many hedges are flailed - usually at the wrong time of the year too! - that sadly they are no longer the stock proof wildlife-rich places that they once were. It would be great to read more hedgerow posts from you. Especially a proper laid hedge!
ReplyDeleteHedges and drystone walls have never gone from here in the Dales John as we are all primarily livestock farmers of some sort. But even in my childhood in Lincolnshire they were already grubbing out hedges to make biggerfields for the peas and the corn. It did destroy a lot of habitats - things like yellow hammers, which are quite common here where there are still hedges.
ReplyDeleteI've loved hedges since a child and am always happy to amble along looking at the seasonal changes in my local hedges. Last week I disturbed a flock of yellowhammers, such a colourful treat! Jane x
ReplyDeleteThank you for a most interesting post, John. Hedgerows are much more beautiful than barbed wire, but two of our sons who are on a ranch in the Caribou have built seven miles of snake rail fence in the last year - not as lovely as hedges but quite picturesque and reminiscent of the romantic Old West.
ReplyDeleteI like the composition of the second photograph. Great foreground and wonderful distance. The shot with the rabbits makes me think of Beatrix Potter.
ReplyDeleteI love these pastoral views... something about them reminds me of the setting of a Thomas Hardy novel :^)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting indeed. Farmed country are changing all over the world, and not always for the better. I'll look forward to the next instalment.
ReplyDeleteHere on the East Coast of the United States, people want to plant hedgerows, often to create bird habitat. However, the birds are very obliging about carrying seeds of invasive species into the hedgerows, so the hedgerows quickly become a horrible mess of vines and multiflora roses. I'm sure that the birds don't mind, but from an ecological point of view, the hedges serve as refugia for infectious invasives that spread into the nearby woodlands.
ReplyDelete