How to ...Traditional Hedge Laying in the South of England Style

In this film I join Phill Piddell to lay a hedge in the South of England Style.
This film takes you through all the steps to lay a hedge, shows you the tools to use, and goes into great detail on laying techniques. Its one of my longest films to date, because I wanted to provide enough information for anyone to have a go at laying a hedge, and to have the confidence to give it a go. Its a very enjoyable and satisfying activity. A well laid hedge is a visual treat, and will provide a very good stock proof barrier for years to come. Phill Piddell has considerable experience in hedge laying, and is the South East England Hedge Laying Membership Secretary, so we are in very good hands for this one.
Phill's ebook is available on Amazon:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00I9Y8EHA...
The website for the South of England Hedge Laying Society is sehls.weebly.com/.
The Society promotes the craft of hedge laying, training, competitions and countryside management
You can see what this hedge looked like in the following months by visiting this link:
• 9 months of hedge regr...

[@AndTheCorrectAnswerIs]

Nice to see the preservation of an ancient art that anyone can do with a few simple hand tools.

[@Ursaminor31]

Keeping real knowledge alive. Thank you the old ways are the pathway forward

[@duotronic6451]

All my life i heard the term "hedge row" referenced in WWII movies. Now i know what they actually were. ❤❤❤

[@johnwright9372]

My grandfather Charles Wright (born circa 1896) was the county hedgelaying champion of Staffordshire for many years running. In 1957 he won the NFU (National Union of Farmers) championship when it was held at Gnosall, Staffs. I have his medal. I did hedgelaying with him for a couple of weeks in late Autumn in the 70s. Fond memories.

[@harryrogers]

Excellent..you certainly need to be strong fit and good at sharpening !

[@Zeemike1]

I had no idea how hedgerows were made...that was interesting. Thanks.

[@OrchardcottagefarmCo]

I have a small sheep farm in the U.S. I can't wait to try this!

[@jj_hoolio]

have you done it yet? if so, how's it going?

[@bustedkeaton]

I hope you tried it, or will soon. Maybe with a native US hawthorn (mayhaw)

[@johnwright9372]

Whereabouts in the US? I don't know the species you have there, but my grandfather told me you have to dig out any elder tree, roots and all, because it poisons the hawthorn.

[@Highlander.7]

cheers and shalom

[@lesmason7263]

That's skilled work! And like all skilled men, he makes it look easier than it is. Respect

[@5dinsdale]

I'd like to see an update on how this hedge looks like now in 2019.

[@noelkeane5603]

Probably removed to make one even larger field of two. So sad.

[@alanssnack1192]

its 2020

[@shilks8773]

@@noelkeane5603 The hedge is next to the road - so they won't be able to make a larger field on this side of the field.

[@andy199121]

@@noelkeane5603 Seeing a lot of hedges go back in near me, think the subsidy structure has probably changed to incentivise it? Not sure

[@coedlan]

@@andy199121 absolutely - you are now paid to reinstate hedges

[@voodooalpaca]

Great video harry! We should say the reason for laying hedges is to rejuvenate old and gappy hedges, and to provide a wildlife corridor. A thick bushy hedge will be stock proof and strong from the day its layed. The also look great when just done. If done,well all the plants in the hedge will re grow and be,much stronger,than before and far healthier. We definitely need to revisit that hedge in the spring to see the new growth and in the autumn to see the first full season of growth Worth noting that the cost to lay a hedge will depend on the specific conditions, so if its a nice planed for the purpose hedge you would get it done for closer to £10 per yard, but if it was an old unloved example you could be looking at much more. Costs will also depend on supply of stakes and binders, and if the left over need to be burnt or removed. Best to get a quote from someone if you are interested. In the long run it will be the cheaper option. The Re laying time will depend on a number,of factors also. Anyone interested in hedge laying in the south of england could pop along to the web site. Www.sehls.co.UK we offer full training and competitions.

[@harryrogers]

Thats great Phill - thanks for the extra info. Regards Harry

[@jonnavdpas]

It's really cool that that hedge had been lain before, decades ago. That tree has survived and grown in that state for years. Nature sure is resilient.

[@barkershill]

Well done , best hedgelaying video I have seen

[@paulwood4769]

Fantastic little film with a great instructor ... superb result , thank you

[@MrHatManS]

Really enjoyed this video, I've been into bushcraft for a couple of years now and am finding the more I do the more I enjoy the bodging side of things.

[@havocdaemon]

Awesome vid! I was designing a 'living fence' plan in my head when this popped up! Thanks for uploading, this is a fantastic idea already long proven by time!

[@harryrogers]

Great - I'm pleased it helps.

[@rattusnorvegicus4380]

Gets a thumbs up from me,great work and not a health-destroying chainsaw in sight! All traditional tools plus modern handsaw we all have in the garden nowadays.

[@maryandsam2]

Very informative harry, thanks for taking the time, was especially useful to us to see exactly how the binding works. many thanks. Sam and Mary.

[@user-zn3rs5po3d]

I didn't know about hedge laying. Tried it with some Rowan tress and is working great. Those rowans are hard to kill.

[@thestrangegreenman]

This is the perfect 'slow tv' for me right now. Very relaxing, and it makes me want to try bounding my vegetable garden with a hedge of hawthorns and such. Buckthorn and autumn olive would do an amazing job but it's so invasive I don't dare.

[@motritton6270]

Amazing, I have learnt so much. Love it.

[@GappyPirate]

Nice video. always good to see how others lay hedges.

[@bludgerabled]

Great video, looks far better than the one I did in my beginners course, much neater.

[@ljd8520]

Fantastic demo, good work guys.

[@roadwarrior8560]

Great work, that's a great little saw. must get myself one.

[@lumpythumb1305]

I quite liked this. I was also impressed at that fellows larger of the two axes shown. Would love to have one of my own.

[@lorilange8654]

Love this using nature to accomplish a much better way if fencing...

[@shilks8773]

It's not a Fence - It's a Hedge.

[@lorilange8654]

@@shilks8773 it's why I mentioned "nature" 😉

[@johnhartley3596]

Third time watching. Fascinating.

[@gillclark4620]

Thanks for posting this, found it fascinating, would love to have a go!!

[@shaunpreston2839]

I luv hedge laying all the stakes and binders are usually in the hedge or near by and when done well very strong neat and very satisfying!

[@charlieneilson1239]

Quality vid. I love your axe!!

[@oleggarbeechy5443]

thanks for another great video, Harry! very educational, I didn't know there was so much to hedge making. I was enjoying this one while sanding the rust off of the head of an old hammer I found today :)

[@harryrogers]

Sounds like an interesting project in the offing!

[@KimberlyJ424]

I’m fascinated by this.

[@mick.Walker]

A great video, I enjoyed every minute of it, big thumbs up.

[@gjingodjango]

I want to see it two years old. Great stuff.

[@TemplarX2]

Functional and natural. Very nice.

[@crawwwfishh3284]

Much nicer than wire. Even the birds love it.

[@johncourtneidge]

Excellent! Thank-you!

[@disconeil]

Thanks for sharing this video Harry, I thoroughly enjoyed it so much so that I sat and watched it TWICE!!! It would be interesting to go back after a season or two and compare "before and after" maybe. Keep up the good work, you are my new favourite channel. N.

[@harryrogers]

Thanks indeed Neil - yes it would be good to do a 'Hedge Revisited'!!

[@heardashot]

Extremely well done, hard work gone into that where the results are so rewarding. Good work there fellow. You should be very proud of that job. Top marks.

[@harryrogers]

Thanks we enjoyed it.

[@thomasglasscock2570]

Good Vid! Thanks for Sharing Sir.

[@surface4985]

Great man that doesn't need any gloves.

[@What..a..shambles]

Good video, thanks 👍🏻

[@charlieneilson1239]

Cracking vid. 👍🏻

[@thomashanson6607]

How nice, far better than our American technique of bulldoze it flat, steel poles and barbed wire.

[@Dollapfin]

Thomas Hanson farmers in the us had a major advantage to other places when we used Osage orange as a hedge row. We could just cut it annually instead of laying it like this and no cattle or wolves would ever get through the Osage. Black locust may work too.

[@maxdecphoenix]

@@Dollapfin when the Europeans arrived, most of their boundary lines were made up of split rails. Hedge maintenance just wasn't a practice they kept. I guess they figured it was just cheaper or more efficient to split the rails (Lincoln worked as a rail-splitter in his youth). I know there were a few, like Jefferson who maintained the practice, but for most new landowners, they were looking for more utilitarian methods. Let me jump ahead to mention this: During the second world war, the millenia-old hedgerows in France and Italy bogged down Allied troops and prevented their tanks from being able to operate to their maximum mobility. The lanes between two hedges were called 'kill zones' because they were so apt to ambushing troops. The US Military put out a call across the army for someone to figure out an efficient way to break through the hedges (remember these were thousands of years old, laden with rocks and earth and shrubs). So a soldier in the motor pool fitted a spiked digger to a front end loader and would grub the hedges out. The army used his design and it enhanced the mobility of the allies. 80-years earlier in 1860's America, this wasn't the case. The new Americans had abandoned hedges for split-rails and these were in no way as efficient barriers. During the civil war, Union soldiers would march into an area, and in need of fuel for cooking/heating, they would dismantle the seasoned split-rails and use them to burn. Combined with the lack of labor, the practice of stealing fence became one of the most immidiantly pressing issues for the civilian population. Animals couldn't be contained in areas or excluded from others. Crops were being destroyed by grazing animals, animals escaping, predators getting in. Lincoln came under so much fire for the human misery this simple practice created that he drafted an order that the Union Army was to only take 'the top rail' and to leave the fence intact. This did very little, due to the ebb and flow of the war, soldiers would march in, take the top rail. then march out. Later they might retreat back to that area, taking what was then the 'top rail', and later march through the same area again, taking what was then the 'top rail'. It's insane to think about because it doesn't seem like it should, but had the new americans maintained this European tradition of hedging, the American Civil War may have had a vastly different outcome. Instead of troops being able to maneuver cross country with only naturally-occurring obstructions, they'd have had to surmount the endless hurdles of hedgerows that would later bog down their great-grandchildren's mechanized-forces in Europe.

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

@@maxdecphoenix thanks for the little history lesson. Very interesting topic.

[@13DarkMelody]

Such an eyesore and deadly as well.

[@mrleedra]

While in the US we rarely used hedges, fence-building was a regional art for a long time in the Eastern US, just as hedge-laying was in Europe. Most regions had their own variation of fence, so that someone with a trained eye could see what part of the country he was in just by looking at the fences. There were many varieties of post- and snake-rail fences, stone fences, even stump fences, which hung on into the middle of the past century, though sadly they have largely disappeared now.

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Very informative.

[@anti-popfpv4638]

How does one human come across this video randomly and twice in 3 years. Turn that bill hook into a pike!

[@rogerphillips450]

Looks 100% better.

[@VioletMagpie]

love love love this! What a beautiful way to work with nature and also preserve some beautiful historical practices! I want to do this on my farm in places - do you cut off all the leaves? Can the tree survive with all the leaves taken off? So fascinating! Any extra literature on this would be appreciated! :) P.s. I am only about 8 minutes into the video and got excited...if my questions are answered later I'll edit my comment ;-)

[@Lex5576]

I really like that Yorkshire billhook, the handle is double posted. We can't get decent billhooks here in the United States. I've ordered a Morris double edge hook from England, and an old Elwell hand slasher. Those are excellent tools.

[@OceanSwimmer]

Which suppliers did you use? I've been looking for similar tools!!

[@willstonvelo8100]

Hi Harry , would be nice to see this hedge a few years on ,to see how it's filled in , all best Will

[@andy199121]

It’s great seeing all the hedge layers in the UK out working in all weathers through winter, initially it looks quite dramatic and brutal but soon recovers. Given a hedge can be good for 20-40 years providing it’s looked after I’d imagine over the long run it’s cheaper than fencing? But then it’s also difficult to quality the benefits of it reducing top soil erosion, run off, habitat and even heard they can reduce farm inputs? Not sure how that works.

[@OceanSwimmer]

What type of wood are we seeing laid down for the hedge? Brilliant technique. Thank you for filming this, Mr. Rogers.

[@jimc4731]

Harry, could you do a short video showing the hedge in the area worked on in this video? JIM

[@hippychippie1]

fascinating

[@cynanthropy]

i agree with everything said in this video

[@buckaroobonzai2909]

Has anyone ever heard of using willow for the stakes? I just know that living willow fences are a thing, and that you can make them into green stakes that will make roots once you jam them into the dirt. They live like 90% of the time. It would also add another vigorous tree to the mix, but wild-life like to eat willow greens.

[@Wornout1]

Normally if you have to use willow then you debark the point as growing too much willow in a hedge smothers fruit bearing thorn and gives an open hedge that is less of a wind break and less stock proof so before netting was common ,willow in a hedge was definitely a weed. How things have changed 😊

[@bck70]

I think a fairly good size Khukri is enough for the job.

[@JamieBowenSailingPlymouthUK]

What axe are you using? Looks perfect for the job

[@barkershill]

humble suggestion , get one of those modern shepherds neck crooks and use it to help pull over the big stems . you can reach up six foot above your head and get more leverage , saves having to bring a mate along , but lovely vid !

[@TheVoodooalpaca]

good suggestion. I was using a telescopic cutter thing today which has a hook and it does the same thing huge reach and leverage.

[@ES-pc8kf]

When I go to great Britain again I am going to look more carefully at all the laid hedges. I never gave them a thought and assumed they were scrubs that naturally grew that way.

[@peteranddorothybowles5428]

Well done you Man of Kent am i

[@melldot]

Thanks so much for sharing this, I'm in the Northeast of the US and am considering planting a hedge this spring, any advice on plant spacings? I was thinking of locust, hawthorne and hazel as hedge options since they all grow quite well here but am unsure how close and how thick to plant them. Thanks again for an excellent vid.

[@TheVoodooalpaca]

ideally 18" spacing in an offset double row. perfect with hawthorn or such like

[@danielrotskas8665]

my subbox is LETERALLY full of your videos! the whole page does not show any other video other than yours, no matter how far i scroll...

[@harryrogers]

Praise indeed - thanks!

[@noooddle]

I have a hedge (American - all vertical plants) and a deer problem. I've tried stakes and wire between the plants. It's been a lot of work and hasn't been effective. But now I am truly inspired! It's all English Laurel. I think I will introduce some more plants and start at this. Wow. Thank you so much. Any suggestions on types of plants? Pacific NW has Similar climate to England.

[@TheVoodooalpaca]

spikey plants are best as it keeps the animals away from the regrowth. sadly bullocks and alapcas eat it anyway so you might need to fence it off unless it is wide and solid

[@frodehau]

+Voodoo Alpaca When the animals get too interested in the woody plants it's time to move them, in fact it is overdue.

[@TheVoodooalpaca]

Its not the woody plant as such its the juicy new regrowth, I.e. new leaves, my alpacas love leaves!

[@tracy419]

Did you create your hedgerow? Would be interesting to see how it went.

[@tropifiori]

Fascinating. We have no tradition for doing this in the Southern part of the United States. As the place was settled by Scotch Irish and Englishmen, I wonder if it was because of the climate or the availability of wood to make split rail fencing? It certainly looks effective. As hand digging fence posts is so appalling, I may give this a try.

[@harryrogers]

I think provided you have sufficient rainfall for the hedge to recover this should be good.......we probably get around 30 inches of rainfall in a typical year here.........this year has been the wettest on record though!

[@midgefodder5282]

I know what you mean, in Scotland there isn't much hedge laying either. This is Dry Stane Dyking country which I learned from my Grandfather and my Great Uncle. I've laid a fair few hedges in my time as well, but dyking is the most prolific.

[@thedr00]

Thank you for this video. One question: What time of year do you do this work?

[@harryrogers]

Hi I think it's generally across the Autumn and Winter.

[@LLiivveeeevviiLL]

I am wondering if Rowan can be used to lay a hedge. Anyone with experience?

[@markharris5771]

I remember the guy showing from the "chair in a day" video (sorry I probably slaughtered the title). I can’t think of another channel that has such diverse interest but is consistently so interesting.

[@harryrogers]

Thanks Mark

[@rickster348]

- so they use Hazel bushes?

[@barbararussell897]

Come on over to N.American and show/help us?

[@jeremyhunter2319]

Great video, thanks! Must ask, is there a maximum width that a pleach can be before it's got to just be taken out for firewood?

[@TheVoodooalpaca]

you can pleach any size, but controlling the huge stuff coming down without breaking is tough

[@jeremyhunter2319]

Spoke to a hedge-laying friend, he stands on top of his Defender and chainsaws off at around 8ft first, then lays the remainder. Seems like a good idea.

[@TheVoodooalpaca]

+Jeremy Hunter probably not the traditional approach but effective

[@inregionecaecorum]

Nah thats never proper 'edge laying is it, he is not wearing a weskit or smoking a pipe?

[@OceanSwimmer]

LOL! I saw that film too....the hedger was great, wasn't he? And probably lived a long life with all that hard work.

[@MistressOP]

I wonder if you could use goats on develope hedges to cut back on labor

[@barkershill]

No

[@lyndengeo]

Im in tasmania with a gappy hawthorn hedge. Can u give me advice? So spikey!

[@TheBrick2]

I know this is a late reply but google "hedge laying mitts". They are, as they sound mits but made of leather maybe double thickness to stop the monster thorns. the best seem to be hand made a by a leather worker. Some people only have one and then use a "normal" leather glove on the over hand for better dexterity.

[@66bigbuds]

The old fellow that first showed me how to do this threw dirt on the cuts.

[@DaveBardin]

Harry I need you guys to come and do a few acres behind my house. I would like to start keeping a few pigs and goats. I'll make room for you guys to bivouac behind the house. We will kill a dear and feed ourselves. Nice work and a lot of hard work. But it is pretty when its done. I do wished we had Hazel here.

[@harryrogers]

Dave - you are dead right it is hard work......so make it two deer and I'll be over!

[@euandick]

don't have hazel? Plant it!! It grows like hell and you can find it free, everywhere!!

[@DaveBardin]

really. oh its on now.

[@ericzgrey]

I am curious, what is the point in clearing out the underbrush? Isn't that stopping the animals from going out as well?

[@lmorgan877]

It provides space for the pleached stems to lay over into and provides access for whoever is laying the hedge to get in close enough to work. Some hedges will have grown out 15 feet into the field which all has to be cleared back to the original hedge before it can be laid.

[@ericzgrey]

@@lmorgan877 Thanks

[@deezynar]

Interesting. I don't think that was ever done in the US. It certainly wasn't done in the SW of the US. It's too dry here, the plants wouldn't survive the severe trimming.

[@harryrogers]

Hi deezynar - thats interesting - its done across much of the UK, but is a real rarity these days, as a child I used to see more of it, but then along came the tractor slashers.A laid hedge is a heavy upfront cost, but it does last well.

[@mickhawtin5468]

Good video but your hedger needs to recognise holly from Hawthorn or hazel

[@mickhawtin5468]

sorry last comment he does mention holly, my bad..

[@flyboymike111357]

I can see why hedgers had a civic and military function historically. As a modern courier in the South of the US, originally from the Southwest, I see the terribly state of hedges along narrow country roads. It's terribly unsafe for passing vehicles with all the low hanging branches, dead wood hanging precariously off vines, and large animals freely moving through the hedge. Of course with a much larger variety in size and shape of carts and wagons, and the irregularity of how things would be stacked or strapped to them, you'd have even more need for people to keep the hedges along the roads safe, sturdy, and trim. And of course, having to constantly assess the weaving and tangles, while also using your creative problem solving skills to lay and bind, you'd be developing something of a skirmish skill that would be useful for fighting with a billhook-halberd or guarding a man-at-arms.

[@halnywiatr]

How to lay a traditional hedge: Start with complimenting it, and then buy it a few drinks ...

[@trevorcox3020]

Ha ha

[@bg147]

Are there still a lot of people who do this type of work or are the ranks thinning?

[@harryrogers]

bg147 Not so common now a days...I do not see many laid hedges on my travels.

[@voodooalpaca]

Harry, here is the update I promised kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep-8gJWPbaaNicU 9 months of regrowth of that same hedge :-)

[@willbest1547]

What's a "bodger"?

[@harryrogers]

a green woodworker...traditionally someone who turned chair legs on a pole lathe

[@willbest1547]

Ah, thanks. That was a fascinating video on hedge laying. Thank you for posting it!

[@rushmore120]

At 11:40 I thought he was gonna hit his foot....

[@noname-by3qz]

What is the point of "laying" the tree, waiting a few years for a natural fence to sprout up, then messing with it again? Why don't they just leave the trees in the first place??

[@harryrogers]

It makes it stock proof and a haven for wildlife.

[@jimc4731]

Wondering how does one start a hedge through a field where none existed before? JIM

[@shilks8773]

Plant some hawthorn whips. A lot will be needed.

[@thincle6626]

Man fights with a shrub for half and hour.

[@karenp5374]

He should have a hat and safety glasses on and gloves and steel toed boots.

[@ltodd79]

I wish they were bear proof. Sigh. U.S.

[@cosmosmuttuli9615]

all plants have feelings they are not garbage

[@richardsinger01]

cosmos muttuli no they dont

[@mr.edmiston6725]

Y’all never heard of barbed wire!!

[@edwardsills2664]

Hahaha!! Yes, but the benefits of laying far outweigh wire. Firstly, it's been practiced since long before wire existed. Second, it's also a great way of maintaining habitat for songbirds, hedgehogs, small mammals and all kinds of insects. It also prevents soil erosion and helps to lessen the effects of flooding from field water runoff! It also looks nice!!!😊

[@Dollapfin]

Or just coppice some thorny trees. This is a big waste of time to me.

[@herdwick3]

Why did you waste your time watching it all and commenting then ?

[@richardsinger01]

Matthew Niedbala coppiced trees aren’t going to be stock proof are they.

[@barkershill]

But there are no thorny trees there though, are there ?

[@justriley9157]

u guys have no idea

[@harryrogers]

This guy is a championship winner and knows his stuff....I think you must just have a different approach.