Hedges not only provide effective livestock fencing for fields and woodland edges but also provide excellent habitat and wildlife corridors for insects and birds. Unlike timber or wire fences which deteriorate over time and provide no habitat benefit, if managed properly a hedge will improve over time and provide ever better natural habitat.
This hedge was laid last winter, and the new growth can already clearly be seen. The hedge has been fenced with wire to protect it from livestock before it becomes strong enough (2-3 years) at which point the wire will be taken down. This hedge was laid as part of a hedge laying course run by College of the Peak
This hedge just by the entrance gate of Haddon Hall has just been laid. The primarily Hawthorn hedge is cut close to the ground and laid flat, thereby allowing new shoots to grow from the base and along the laid stems. New shoots grow up binding and interlocking the hedge to provide a strong natural barrier. This hedge will provide an excellent nesting habitat for all manner of birds, food from the berries in winter; habitat for insects; and protection from predators.
This hawthorn hedge along Brickyards Wood until recently has not been managed other than with a mechanical trimmer. What’s left of the original hedge is being left to grow so it can be laid in a couple of year’s time. The gaps have been filled in with a wide variety of species, the main one being Hawthorn to provide the main structure, but we have also added Hazel, Box, Holly, Blackthorn, and various species of wild Roses. This will create a very attractive hedge, sometimes known as a “tapestry” hedge for its variety of colours, and a broad habitat “biodiversity” to maximise natural benefit.