Day 57. The Hedges

 A flowering hawthorn hedge. The blossom is known as 'May' for the month in which it flowers.

The hedge, that typical rural feature whose disappearance attracts much controversy today, is a relatively modern addition to the countryside. In arable areas such as the Midlands, the farmland typically comprised vast open areas of cultivation, up to a thousand acres in size, with hedges enclosing only the perimeter and any pasture or meadow land. In the south-west and the north, drystone walls performed this role.

Hedges  gradually became commonplace following the enclosures of the open fields; in Preston this took place during the 1760s (see Day 53). Each landowner was ordered to plant hedges and create fields as he saw fit, and hawthorn was  grown in commercial nurseries for this purpose.

Hawthorn will branch into many stems when cut, so quickly forms a thick, stock-proof barrier. Its use has ancient origins: its name derives from the Old English word haye, meaning 'hedge', and today it comprises the majority of hedgerows.

A blackthorn hedge, relatively unusual in Preston. This hedge once enclosed ancient meadow ground and long pre-dates the Enclosures. Note the curve – it was planted along a ridge once ploughed by oxen (see Day 53).

A hedge doesn't form naturally. Left untouched, hawthorn will revert to a tree, useless for impeding livestock. Hedge-laying was a highly-skilled job. The hawthorn stems had to be severed almost at ground level, laid flat and woven around the other stems. They would shoot and form many new stems which would fill all the gaps. Woven hazel laths supported the structure. The hedge would soon become entirely stock-proof.  A perfectly neat job was a matter of pride.

 

         A hawthorn hedge, around five years after it was laid.

A now-common sight: the thick horizontal stems indicate how much time has passed since the hedge was laid, and the large gaps show a once unacceptable problem, now easily rectified with fence posts and wire mesh.

But unlike many traditions, hedge-laying has far from died out. Courses and competitions are a regular feature in rural communities, and the skill displayed by the entrants has in no way diminished from its earliest days.