New film: National Hedgelaying Championships comes to the Chilterns

Date: 03rd February 2023

Did you know hedges were used as living fences, marking ownership and keeping animals in or out of a field? However, over time, gaps in the hedgerows develop allowing animals to escape or trample crops. For years this has been managed with a technique called hedge laying, which involves cutting each stem and laying it down to create a living hedge.

Hedge laying is big business and the Chilterns played host to the National Hedge laying Championships on 29th October 2022 at Crowmarsh Battle Barns near Wallingford. We supported the event through a Farming in Protected Landscapes grant and have made a short film with interviews with farmers, hedge layers and organisers.

Watch our video to find out more about this fascinating event and why it’s so important for our countryside.

Watch the Video

Learn about hedgelaying – the traditional rural craft of cutting and laying hedges to rejuvenate them and help them stay healthy, both for wildlife and as effective field barriers. See footage from the National Hedgelaying Championships, bringing people together to keep this skill alive.