Hedgelaying in Holland

In 2007 & 2008 I was invited to give a demonstration of hedgelaying in Holland. (Thanks to Lex Roeleveld www.heggen.nu)

Hedgelaying had died out in Holland and had only recently been re-instated by a group of very dedicated individuals. The style currently being used was largely decided upon following intensive study of old previously laid hedges and interviews with the few country people who had a memory of hedgelaying. I was interested to discover that the current style used no stakes and involved laying alternate stems at the base, middle and finally along the top of the hedge as a binder. As the hedge used the living stems to support the hedge, it gave an instantly thick and sturdy hedge and needed no stakes.

Recent thinking in Holland is that perhaps this style is the result of evidence is based on of casual attempts by untrained farmers to lay hedges after the last professional hedgers died out before WWII. Looking at very old laid hedges in the UK and identifying how they would have originally been laid may well produce some interesting styles here.

To read more about the Trip to Boxmeer Holland go to http://davidwperry.blogspot.com/2008/01/hedgelaying-in-holland-2007.html

Hedgelaying regrowth six months later

After one year's growth a new hedge looks like this.

Here's the same hedge at the top of the page after at the end of the first summer's regrowth. Quite pleased with this one.

Hedgelaying 1982

This hedge was laid nearly 30 years ago in 1982. This is Whitby taken on 'The Switchbacks', between Four Lane Ends and Stakesby Manor.  There is now a housing estate being built on the right hand side.










The Older hedgelayer seen here is Mr Nellis who laid many local hedges. It was the first hedge I ever saw laid. This is the same hedge as the picture above and taken from roughly the same position. Most books on hedgelaying describe 'Yorkshire style' as having a sawn wooden top rail nailed to the stakes. In this part of North Yorkshire it is more common to see hedges laid with stakes and no rails used.