Hedgelaying was carried out at the boundary to the main car park during January & February, whilst the trees were dormant and ahead of the nesting season

Hedgelaying is a traditional countryside craft that’s been carried out for thousands of years to maintain and rejuvenate hedgerows. It involves partially cutting and bending over the stems of shrubs or small trees near ground level, encouraging new growth from the base.

Hedges are laid to maintain boundaries, provide wildlife habitats and keep fields stockproof – stopping Houdini sheep from escaping into our car park!

Billhooks are used to cut the stems, or “pleachers”, close to the ground, so they can be laid down. It’s important the hedge is laid at a slight uphill angle so sap can rise and flow around the stem to stay alive and produce growth. A small section of stem, called a “hinge”, is left attached at the base to keep the plant alive and encourage new growth.

Why have we done this?

Without management a hedgerow grows into a line of trees! Gaps will appear at the base, and it will no longer be such a valuable habitat for wildlife, nor keep the boundary stockproof.

This hedgerow was planted 15-20 years ago with hedgelaying in mind, to create access to the lower grasslands for small birds and bats. This particular section was last laid in 2018.

Some taller trees, called “standards”, are left to provide even more habitats for wildlife.

Hedgerows are fantastic for the environment and for wildlife, providing food and shelter to all kinds of birds, mammals and insects. A well maintained hedgerow acts as a “wildlife corridor” and allows wildlife to pass through, searching for food, mates or nesting sites.

Hedgerows help reduce flooding and soil erosion, they even lock up carbon dioxide in their roots, leaves and soil, helping us fight climate change – so they are well worth taking care of!

Laying the hedge encourages it to rejuvenate in spring, growing lots of new shoots from the base of the hedge, keeping it nice and thick and filling gaps so it can continue to be a valuable part of our landscape.

We had lots of help from our brilliant volunteers who have all put a lot of effort into learning the art of hedgelaying and honing their billhook skills! As always, a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us with this project.

If you would like to get involved at Upton Country Park visit uptoncountrypark.com/get-involved/volunteering to find out more about the volunteering opportunities that are available.