Blog - hazel

How to Lay a Hedge

How to Lay a Hedge

by Angus, 25 September, 2008, 114 comments

Hedges are an important part of our countryside, yet they are functional too. The use of hedges goes back hundreds of years (perhaps more) and is an effective way to keep in livestock and mark boundaries. They also have very important benefits for wildlife as they are home to many nesting birds, small mammals and many insects. Apart from being a habitat they also provide a corridor for the movement of animals across field systems and between woodland areas. Landowners need to maintain them but sometimes they get out of control (the hedges rather than the land owners) and once they reach over 4 metres in height they start to encroach upon fields and become “gappy” at the base. It is at this point that they need to be laid - ideally by an experienced hedge layer. Read more...

The Wildwood

The Wildwood

by Chris, 13 September, 2007, 4 comments

In geological terms, our woodlands, forests, indeed most of our landscapes, are very recent. Our present countryside began to form some twelve to thirteen thousand years ago when the last Ice Age (The Devensian) came to an end. This ice age, like all the others that had preceded it, locked up massive quantities of water in ice sheets and glaciers and these covered much of Britain. Read more...

Wild food

by Jade, 17 August, 2006, 14 comments

Collecting food from the wild is definitely something to take advantage of if you have the opportunity to do so and I am sure many people have at least gathered blackberries from the wild. Summer and autumn are both excellent times for wild fruit. These can be munched straight from the plant or made into a variety of puddings, drinks or jams. I have found all of the following in woodlands: Read more...

Hedgerows

Hedgerows

by Chris, 11 April, 2006, 2 comments

Do you have hedgerows on your land? Have you ever thought of trying to date them? It is sometimes possible to give an approximate age to a hedge using the ‘hedge dating’ system devised by Dr Max Hooper in the 1970's. This is explained in a number of books, such as The Living History of Our Hedgerows: A Guide to Dating Hedgerows - Lesley Chapman, Brian Steffens (Illustrator) Orchard Publications - paperback - April 10, 2001. Have a look on Amazon.co.uk or similar The basic formula for dating a hedge is as follows: First measure out a 30 metre length of hedge. Work along the hedge systematically recording each woody species. Repeat this process with two or three 30 metre sections of hedge. Calculate how many woody species on average you find in your hedge. Generally speaking, a new species is added every hundred years. Read more...

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Wild Flower Guide

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Read our guide to wild flowers of woodland and hedgerow

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