Learn about hedgelaying with Derrick Hale

As part of the CPRE Hedgerow Heroes project, CPRE Shropshire is running a free online talk about hedgelaying. The talk, hosted by CPRE’s Emma Marrington, takes place on Wednesday 7 December from 7pm to 9pm.

The ancient craft of hedgelaying is a hugely beneficial practice. It improves the structure and density of hedgerow plants as well as making for a much better wildlife habitat.

In this free online talk, hedgelaying competitor and teacher Derrick Hale will explore many aspects of this historical craft, including:

• How hedgelaying came about and how long it has been practiced
• The environmental and land management benefits of hedgelaying
• Principles of pleaching, cutting for regrowth
• Pollarding, coppicing and hedgelaying and how they compare
• How not to lay a hedge and why
• Regional hedgelaying styles and why they have evolved the way they have
• Hedgelaying outside of the UK and how it can be useful for crocodile and hippopotamus control…

This talk is part of CPRE Shropshire’s Hedgerow Heroes project which will plant 5.5km of new hedgerow in the county this winter and deliver hedgelaying training workshops, walks, talks and work in schools.

Book your free tickets

Hedgerow Heroes project

Now in its second year, CPRE Hedgerow Heroes is a corporate-funded project which involves the restoration of hedgerows across England. We’ve lost around half our hedgerows since the Second World War. We want to address that so that we can restore our landscapes, improve biodiversity and soils and help tackle the climate emergency. This winter, seven CPRE groups are planting, gapping and laying hedgerows in their locales. Find out more here.