Why Hedgerows Are Laid, Not Just Cut

A hedgerow that is flailed every year soon becomes a row of snapped stems and hollow gaps. Laying is different. It is a slow, deliberate craft that cuts a stem almost through at its base — a technique called pleaching — and bends it over at an angle without breaking it. The living wood keeps growing, sending up fresh shoots. In time, the hedge thickens from the bottom, forming a dense, stockproof barrier that is also a haven for wildlife. In Britain, hedgerows are vital farmland habitats, and a well-laid hedge can outlive the person who laid it.

Traditional laying also renews the hedge. It lets light reach the base, encourages new growth, and removes old wood that harbours disease. For a farmer, it keeps cattle in and wind out. For a conservationist, it is a lifeline. For anyone who loves the countryside, it is a deeply satisfying skill.

Reading the Hedge Before You Cut

Before you pick up a billhook, look at what you have. A healthy mixed hedge might contain hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, field maple, dog rose, and ash. Hawthorn and blackthorn are the classic lowland hedge plants; they pleach beautifully. Hazel is pliable and suckers readily. Ash and field maple can be laid, but they are stiffer and may need a heavier cut. Elder is brittle and best left alone.

Check age and structure. A young hedge, under five years old, may only need trimming to encourage bushing. A neglected hedge, tall and gappy, will need a hard lay. Look for disease, dead stems, or rabbit damage. Also check for wildlife: birds' nests, dormouse nests, and bat roosts are protected by law. If you find an active nest, stop work and return later. The laying season runs from October to early March, outside the main nesting period, but always check first.

The Hedge Laying Toolkit

You do not need much, but tools must be sharp and well maintained.

• Billhook — the essential tool. A heavy, curved blade for cutting and cleaning stems. Yorkshire or Devon patterns are ideal.
• Hand axe — for thicker stems and driving stakes.
• Bow saw or pruning saw — for cutting larger trunks cleanly.
• Slasher or brush hook — for clearing brambles and nettles before you begin.
• Stakes and binders — usually hazel or willow. Stakes go upright every 45–60 cm. Binders are woven along the top.
• Mallet — for driving stakes without splitting them.
• Safety kit — thick gloves, steel-toed boots, and leg guards.

Keep a sharpening stone in your pocket. A blunt billhook is dangerous because it slips.

The Craft in Practice: Pleaching, Staking and Binding

Start at one end and work backwards, or uphill if the ground slopes. Lay each stem at a shallow angle, no more than 30–40 degrees from the ground. Cut on the side away from the direction you are laying, using a slicing motion. Leave a hinge of living wood — roughly one-third of the stem's diameter — so it stays attached and keeps growing. Too deep a cut and the stem dies; too shallow and it snaps.

Lay stems in the same direction, overlapping like tiles. Trim off branches that would rub or cross. Drive a stake vertically every metre or so. Then weave a binder — a long, flexible hazel or willow rod — horizontally along the top, twisting it around the stakes. This holds everything down while the hedge knits together. In Devon and Somerset, you might lay on top of a bank; in the Midlands, the style is flatter and tighter.

Seasonal Rhythms and Wildlife Benefits

Hedge laying begins after the leaves fall and ends before the birds nest. In most of Britain, that means October to early March. Avoid frost, when wood is brittle. After laying, the hedge looks drastic — bare and low — but within a season it shoots away. Do not trim new growth for two or three years. Then a light trim every two or three years keeps it dense. Rotate trimming so different sections are different heights, which suits more wildlife.

A well-laid hedge is more than a fence. It is a corridor, a larder, and a shelter. The base, with its leaf litter and tussocky grass, is home to beetles, spiders, and small mammals. Spring flowers feed bees and butterflies. Winter berries feed thrushes, redwings, and fieldfares. In summer, the dense canopy hides nesting yellowhammers, linnets, and whitethroats. Bats use hedgerows as flight paths, and dormice rely on them for food and cover.

For the farmer, a laid hedge is a windbreak that protects crops and livestock, reduces soil erosion, and provides shade. It stores carbon and slows rainwater. This old craft is not nostalgia; it is a practical, low-cost way to keep a boundary healthy for decades.