Community Hedge Fund: Blacknest Fields

On a Saturday morning in February, we tracked down a small group of local landowners and volunteers from the Binsted area. They were gathered at Blacknest Fields in the South Downs National Park, for a demonstration on the traditional country craft of hedgelaying, South of England style.

With funding from the CPRE Hampshire Community Hedge Fund, Binsted Parish Council and Friends of Blacknest Fields had organised the event as part of their ongoing plans to manage this 8-acre site, situated next to Alice Holt Forest.

It is an impressive project, bringing together lots of partner organisations, providing expertise and resources and most importantly involving the whole community.

Full details of the Blacknest Fields project can be found on the Parish Council website. It is an inspirational read for any local community group wanting to take on a local site to manage for wildlife and as a community asset.

Claire Fargeot explained her interest in the event: “It is fabulous that this hedge laying event can be offered on our doorstep. I run a bio-dynamic farm with rare breed cattle. There are lots of opportunities for me to use these skills on my own farm and in my work as a sustainability consultant.”

Alan Melvin concurred: “I have got a piece of land where the hedges need attention. I am learning lots and can now feel more confident to have a go at home.”

Steve Luckett is an active volunteer in lots of countryside projects, including the nearby Bentley Station Butterfly Conservation reserve. He explained that creating a linked network of natural sites (bio-diversity hot spots) is important: “Wildlife sites can be too small and isolated, so it is important to connect them. Hedges are a great way of creating green corridors. We have developed a circular walk to encourage people to understand the link between Blacknest Fields and the nearby Butterfly Meadow.” This new Butterfly Walk will be inaugurated at Alton’s Walking festival in May. For more details see Alton Walking Festival 2023 – Walk Alton.

Jason Whittaker is another member of the group with farming roots: “Our family farm is in Cheshire and we have been discussing what to do about the miles of hedges on our beef cattle farm. This event has given me lots of good ideas which I will discuss with my family.”

Jonny King, who ran the demonstration said: “I’m delighted to share my passion for the ancient art of hedge laying. Well laid hedges, as well as being beautiful, are an important feature of our countryside and valuable wildlife habitats. I would encourage anyone interested in learning this skill to contact their local agricultural college or hedge laying society for training. I hope that today’s taster-session inspires the attendees to manage their hedgerows to ensure their health and long term survival.”

Alison Melvin, who organised the event, summed it up: ‘Restoring Blacknest Fields for wildlife is not a short term project. We need to manage this area well in the long term. Having local people with the right skills and knowledge to do this is an important part of our long term plans. Many thanks CPRE Hampshire for giving us this invaluable opportunity to start getting Blacknest’s neglected hedges back into shape.”

Find Jonny King on:

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Take a look at our photos of the event below.