March 2024

Grange Farm, Towersey. 100 metres of predominantly blackthorn with some hawthorn. This hedge was very wide and hollowing out in the middle as blackthorn tends to as it grows outwards towards the light. Another hedge laid crop and pleach with live stakes.

The farmer keeps a mixed flock of hardy sheep breeds. Here are some of them in the field behind the hedge I am going to lay

 

Before view from the start of hedge. There's a ditch hidden by the hedge

 

View from end of hedge, before...

 

...and after, but from this angle the laid hedge is completely hidden by excess brush cut out of the hedge

 

Looking up the completed hedge. The laid hedge on the right is very wide in places, secured between live stakes alternating each side, one is visible in the centre foreground

 

Completed hedge from inside the field looking towards the end of the hedge

 

This and the next image show the same section of hedge here looking up the hedge, where you can see that the hedge is growing mostly from the edges and is being laid towards the centre whereas...
 

...here looking down the hedge with my bill hook in the same place as the previous image, you can see what I have to tackle next. If you look closely, to the right you you can see a live stake I have already cut the top off and right next to it the next stem I am going to lay

 

Looking down a newly laid section of blackthorn in full flower