The location of the hedge is adjacent to part of the coastal path in Titchfield.
First step is to find the hedge!
Starting to clear the base and around the hedge.
Blackthorn suckers enveloped the hedge.
After an hours work we had found the original planted hedge of hawthorn.
Our experienced hedgelayer, Stuart, shows volunteers how to cut a pleach.
Laying over their first stem.
Working in pairs, the volunteers carried on under Stuarts guidance.
We used a big ‘slasher’ to clear an enormous amount of ivy.
Volunteers were proud of their pleaching!
Learning some more interesting pleaching – secondary pleaching.
Working in their pairs, the volunteers layed sections of hedge, eventually joining up into one stretch half way through the second day.
Stuarts and the volunteers battled the thorny hedges to join each of the pairs layed sections.
Beginning to look like a layed hegde. The two rows of hedge plants are layed into the centre and out the opposite side where the leaves remain. This is called ‘double brush’.
This style was developed in the South of England. With poorer soils, for grazing sheep and cattle, it was preferable to have leaves on both sides of the layed hedge for grazing livestock to eat.
Stakes are put into the centre to hold the layed hedge in place.
This is because the fresh pleachers are temporarily weaker and therefore the hedge is vulnerable to strong winds and pushy livestock.
Finishing off the weekend’s work with some teamwork.
Although the binding method is seemingly simple, it only takes one binder to be mis-placed for lots of undoing and redoing needing to be done. It’s always good to have lots of eyes for this job!
Using a wooden post so as not to crack the binders we bashed them down to an even height of 4ft, and sawed off the tops of the stakes too.
Not a bad view for a days work. And always time for a cuppa!
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