A well laid hedge offers a sanctuary for nesting birds, a strong visual feature in the landscape and a stock proof barrier – and interest in learning just how to lay a hedge is on the up and up, according to champion hedge layer and CLA member, Roger Parris.

But it’s not just a case of setting out with some sharp hooks and a pair of sturdy gloves, there are many different styles of hedge laying, often linked to the county where they originated. So you need to know whether you are supposed to be using bonds, crooks or stakes, whether to work in a straight line or weave the trees in and out and, of course, whether you should lay both sides at once or one side at a time.

Hedgelaying is an ancient rural art that had almost died out but its on the way back, driven partly by the change in the nature of property ownership.

A well laid hedge is an iconic part of our rural West Country heritage and for many of the new owners of former farms and larger properties with land, an essential part of the rural idyll. Roger isn’t just somebody who knows about hedge laying, he’s a champion hedge layer - and more than that, he’s a national as well as a local champion.

His main expertise is in the Devon and North Somerset styles of hedge laying although he also works in Dorset using the style particular to that county.

His skills are in increasing demand with a range of age groups and from October through to March he runs a number of training courses assisted by a team of equally skilled experts.

“Hedge laying is important for a whole host of reasons, it is the most common and effective method of rejuvenating thin or gappy hedges and, if its trimmed correctly, a well laid hedge will last 20 or 30 years providing a dense, stock-proof barrier,” he said.

Roger, who lives and farms at Stockland, near Honiton, in Devon, learned the craft from his father and he has been laying hedges himself for half a century. The attraction, he says, is in re-creating a good strong hedge that offers an impenetrable barrier for farm animals.

“A hedge should be laid thick enough so that a butterfly can fly in – but not through,” he said.

The Devon hedge is normally laid on the top of a bank which forms the main livestock barrier but the densely packed brush, locked in the crooked hazel sticks and binders, is used to keep sheep and lambs secure. A recently laid hedge will still provide cover for animals such as dormice but food supplies and nesting sites are likely to be disrupted for a year or two. In order to overcome the conservation and wildlife issues, Devon hedges can be laid one side at a time with an interval of two years between them providing better continuity of food and habitat.

The banks, which form an integral part of the Devon and Somerset hedges, are unique to this part of the country. The wider ones are known as double banks and the style of hedging peculiar to Devon and North Somerset has evolved to suit these banks.

And hedge laying is by no means an exclusively male preserve – Roger realised a personal ambition earlier this year by combining a hedge laying competition on his farm with a meeting of the Cotley hunt and the competition attracted no fewer than seven ladies.

“Some of these ladies can lay hedges far better than many men – but we gave them all an hour off so that they could watch the hunt meet - and the hunt joined into the spirit of the day by taking off over one of Roger’s newly laid hedges.

“It was a great day which raised over £1200 for the Devon Air Ambulance and left me with a wonderful photographic record of the day’s events,” he said.

So what sets a champion hedges layer apart?

Roger says it’s a clean cut, lack of splitting and getting the crooks in the right place to create a really strong, stock-proof barrier.

“I can get to the end of a hedge and look back at it with a huge amount of satisfaction. Putting a run down hedge back into good condition and, at the same time, providing a habitat for wildlife and song birds is immensely satisfying,” he said.

Roger lives at Blackhayes Farm, Stockland, Honiton, EX14 9DY he can be contacted for enquiries and quotations on 01404 861207.

CLA members can join a special course with Roger which is being organised as a CLA event at Blackhayes Farm. The course will be held on Tuesday 23rd February 2010 – 9.30 am to 3.30 pm and will offer an introduction to laying a hedge in the traditional Devon style. This is a “hands-on” experience for those wishing to learn how to assess, prepare and lay a hedge to enhance a new hedge for songbirds and nesting.

Conservation of habitat is of paramount importance when laying a hedge and the course places great emphasis on this. The cost is £40 per person and full details are included on the events pages of this magazine.