Head of the billhook brigade, Dave reports:
On Saturday a cast of thousands – well, fourteen volunteers – assembled for the last SSNTV hedgelaying of the season. After a few tense moments concerning where to park – in the end, some had to walk an extra quarter of a mile to the worksite – we settled down to start the final day on “our” hedge, part of the Attingham estate.
With three teams cutting, it left a vast support crew who efficiently tidied up any brash cut out of the hedge and transported it to the fire. Many tree guards were removed for safe disposal and the rest of the hedge trimmed in anticipation for next year’s workdays. As this was the last time we would be here this winter, so the hedge had to be left in a good condition without any stand-alone section uncut. This gave us a definite target to aim for, a nice Sweet Chestnut tree that was to be left as a standard. (A standard is a tree left to grow to full height in the hedge. In medieval times and even earlier, the lower hedge may have been cut for firewood and the standard trees used as timber for buildings.)
As if by magic, at afternoon cake o’clock, Ranger Bob turned up to see how we were getting on. He was please with what we had done and gave us this ringing endorsement:
….”It looks good from 200 yards”….
Did we reach our goal? Of course we did and it looked really good, especially with Chris’s bindings along the top.
My thanks to all who turned out and set a new attendance record for a Saturday hedgelaying task.
However volunteers fear not, this is not the last hedgelaying task of calendar year 2022!
Next October we have a treat, when a workday at Wenlock Edge will be dedicated to coppicing the stakes and bindings for the next season’s hedgelaying proper, which will begin again in November. It’s just like being a real hedge layer – a pro’ that is!
Shropshire and Staffordshire National Trust Volunteers 