Langdyke volunteers have been busy at our Swaddywell reserve keeping the ancient art of hedge-laying alive …
David Cowcill reports
From this in 2004 …
… to this in 2023
Langdyke has always been active and supportive in planting new hedges (at least a kilometre in the early days at the reserves and roadsides – for example Glinton Road Helpston east of the railway crossing) and more kilometres again through the actions of the John Clare Countryside project.
However poor hedgerow management is still a problem – a successful one has several tree and shrub species, different heights and a complex branch structure, is thick and broad at the bottom, with a wide margin to any cultivation and dense vegetation at the base.
The hedge adjacent to the large car park at Swaddywell was planted in 2004 (pictured above).
Although now reasonably tall, poor soil and harsh weather had left it rather thin and lacking in attraction for natural inhabitants.
Luckily hedge-laying is not a lost skill hereabouts in John Clare Country, so over two weeks, volunteers from Langdyke and the Perkins Engines Long Service Club “remediated” about half of the hedge, and plan to complete the remainder next year.
It is a tradition of hedge laying to try to use materials “to hand”.
The tradition was upheld as the hazel and alder stakes and binders came from coppicing at Etton High Meadow and thinning at Etton Maxey Reserve.
Above are the results, (the photo taken from almost the same point as planting in 2004) – now with a complex branch structure and a wide base (on the sheep pasture side). Reserve Warden Chris Topper says he is looking forward to seeing green shoots later this year!
Further information can be found at the following websites:-
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/farmland/hedgerow
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/hedgerows/
