Ozawa Wildlife offer hedge laying services throughout the north of England. Hedges can be laid in the Midland bullock or Westmorland styles. The former results in a neat, woven near side and a far side where the brash protects any new growth. The latter style produces a laid hedge with brash laying either side of the hedge.
Hedge laying is a very traditional way to manage a hedge; it revitalises a hedge by encouraging it to send up new shoots in the spring. When laying a hedge a small proportion of the stem is left intact with the stump, this allows the laid stem (or pleacher) to actually carry on growing, maintaining a living barrier. There are many hedgelaying styles in the UK, this particular one is known as the ‘Midland Bullock’ style and is often reffered to as the ‘standard’ style.
With the Midland Bullock style one side of the hedge is known as the near side, and the other as the far side. The near side exposes the stems and pleachers giving a lovely woven look, this side would traditionally have been on the track side.
The far side of the hedge would have been on the field side, on this side of the hedge the pleachers and stumps are completely covered by the brash from the tops of the stems. This prevents any livestock on the field from nibbling away the tasty new re-growth which would eventually kill the hedge if not prevented.
The Westmorland style creates a thick hedge, with plenty of material left within the hedge. Brash wood is present on both sides of the hedge, which offers protection on both sides to any new growth emerging from the stumps. Like the Midland Bullock style, the Westmorland style also includes the use of stakes to stabilise the hedge. Unlike the Midland Bullock style, no binders are used at the top of the hedge. This style is a popular choice on nature reserves, as the resulting hedge is thick and bushy, providing a good refugia for wildlife.
Ozawa Wildlife 