Hedge-laying at Christmas Common

Pyrton Charities Trust and Watlington Climate Action Group held a community hedge laying session on 13th March to rejuvenate an overgrown hedge along a public footpath at Christmas Common. The hedge runs alongside a small paddock owned by Pyrton Charity Trust, on the edge of what was once an ancient common in Pyrton Parish. Following the Enclosures Act, hedgerows like this were planted to divide up the land. It is thought this hedge dates back to the 1860s, and some of the large thick gnarly hawthorn stems are probably the originals- now decayed and creating a very gappy hedge!

Expert local hedge layer Nigel Adams led the session and 7 volunteers turned up to

learn about the ancient practice of hedge laying from Nigel who gave us a fascinating talk and demonstration, before we got stuck in to have a go. Nigel had made a head-start by partially cutting through and then bending the vertical stems (known as pleachers) of the hedgerow shrubs and small trees near ground level, then laying them down at an angle. Our job was to bind them together with cut branches of hazel. Great fun and very satisfying to see the hedge take shape - and to know that within a few months there will be new growth from the base. Creating a denser hedge is extremely valuable for nature – nesting birds and small mammals – and also makes it stock-proof.

The hedge is also an important wildlife corridor linking areas of old woodland and coppice. Dormouse are not uncommon in this part of the Chiltern Hills and almost certainly will be using this hedgerow. Bats frequent these small paddocks and use the hedgerows and woodland edges to hunt along, as well as numerous species of small bird that use the hedge to nest in. 

If you’re out and about in Christmas Common look out for this and several other hedges recently laid by Nigel. And if you’re interested in finding out more about hedge laying look out for the following:

• Nigel Adam’s new book on Hedge Laying, “Hedgelaying: the Complete Guide to a Traditional Rural Craft”

• A hedge laying talk by Nigel to the Watlington Climate Action Group coming soon – watch this space!

Our thanks to Nigel for leading the event, to the wonderful volunteers who came to help and to the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment for providing a grant (with funding from Grundon Waste Management Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund) which made this possible.