Well, for the eagle eyed its only two, Richard and Des! Now is the time of year to do such jobs as fencing and hedge laying.
Just turn left out of our Touring Site and wander down the road you come across a piece of woodland on the right which we call ‘Hollies’. The woodland has become very overgrown and not much light is getting in preventing any growth on the woodland floor.
Looks like Middle Earth!
Before and after hedgelaying
Cover for wildlife
Much of the hedge has dead or diseased wood which needs taking out along with the diseased trees, many of which have been blown over in past storms. The cut wood is sorted and the branches or ‘toppings’ are put aside to act as cover for wild animals such as deer, foxes and pheasants. The good wood on the hedge is then partially cut and leant over and tied in to form a hedge. This is the ‘laying’ process. Although the hedges look quite bare initially in time they produce new shoots and the hedge thickens to become stock proof and habitats for wild animals and birds. Not many farmers do, or can do, this process; it is a skill that is often passed down through generations. However, there are colleges that do teach it, but practice and experience lays a good hedge!