Another bumper turnout today saw 15 of us meet in the Quarry Bank Mill car park at 0930 for a day’s hedge laying. Those of us with little or no knowledge of this country skill were given an excellent introductory talk and demonstration by warden John. Techniques and styles vary across the country, as described on the National Hedge laying Society’s website:
The style we employed was to use a billhook or bowsaw to cut into the vertical trunks a few inches above ground level and then carefully bend the trunks so that they lay about 30 degrees to the horizontal. The bent trunks were then entwined and pegged down with stakes.
We worked on three sections of hedge along the driveway to the house beside the Upper Garden and got a big bonfire going to burn all the brash. After lunch John gave us a guided tour of the Upper Garden and the 19th century cast iron glasshouses and explained the Trust’s ambitions for the area. We had a spectacular view from the bottom of the garden across the Bollin valley to the mill beyond.
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