March 2021 Diary

March 2021

Stanbridge, 48 yards old hawthorn field hedge, now a garden boundary. This was a continuation of work started last season see here. This hedge was very tangled at the top, overgrown with ivy and had lots of chicken wire in the bottom. As well as a fence behind, part of this section was obstructed by a greenhouse and a brick built store hampering access.

The end of the section I did last season with the regrowth from last year visible. The hedge contnues in the ivy to the right...

...and here it is joined up

Looking down hedge line before...

...and after

The hedge had becom very tall and unmanageable and festooned with ivy

View looking up hedge before...

...work in progress...

...and a bit further on. Note the ivy and surplus brush piled on the left

View from neighbour's side before...

...and with work in progress

Looking to end of hedge...

...a bit further on...

...and finished

Signs of previous laying - the two dog-legs indicate where the hedge has been laid twice before. Using a chainsaw, even these awkward old stems can either be laid with a low cut or coppiced, both producing regrowth from the base of the hedge

View from towards end of hedge back to the start

Rowsham. Two separate 24 yard hedges on the same site.
The first hedge is mainly beech, has a steep drop to the far side and was laid, staked and bound South of England style.

View from end of hedge, before...

...and after

Looking to end of hedge, before...

...and after

The second Rowsham hedge is mainly hornbeam and hazel.
It was laid into the adjacent rickety post and rail fence which took the place of stakes and binders. Each ended up supporting the other.

View looking towards start of hedge before, building beyond barely visible...

...and after

Close-up of a very solid hornbeam section with an intriguing curve in the centre retained as a feature. If you look carefully you can see that just left of centre, a spur rises up from a lower stem to support the curve. A second spur, further to the right and to the left of the daffodils, keeps another stem in place; you can see its white top showing just by a "V" cut made to realign the stem.

Laying the hedge has tied the adjacent post and rail fence into the hedge. Running the hedge just past the back of the fence posts and under the rails supports both the fence and the hedge producing a very strong structure.

I used one live hazel stake near a corner of the fence to facilitate running the hazel beyond round the corner. The cut top of the stake is just visible by the fence-post

Here is the live stake from the side before any of the subsequent hazel is laid...

...and here it is with the hazel laid past it and trimmed to height

View from the other side of the hedge looking to the house beyond.Their outlook has already been opened up by laying the beech hedge beyond...

...but with the second hedge laid they now have a lovely view

Sydenham, Oxfordshire. 8 yards hawthorn hedge, laid Midland style.
A relation had recommended this mature hawthorn hedge remnant be laid to rejuvenate it and give a view over the top.
The customer was very pleased with the result, having not believed it to be possible.

On the field side the hedge overhangs the fence. Laying has just started on the right.

View from garden before...

View from garden after with laid hedge hidden by brash.
Customers are always told there can be more clearing up than they expect!

Finished hedge viewed from start...

...finished hedge viewed from end

Foscote, Maids Moreton, Buckingham. 27 yards hawthorn. crab apple and elm. A tall hedge relaid Midland style.
Some old pleachers retained, trimming the stumps to promote more regrowth from the base next time.