WORDS FROM THE HEDGE: A hedgelayers view of the countryside

Hedges are the stitches that hold the British countryside together. Yet, while we fawn over oak trees and wax poetic about chalk streams, the humble hedgerow – “these ribbons of thorn and barb” – often goes overlooked.

In this engaging talk, Richard Negus, former soldier, professional horseman, and now master hedgelayer, invites us into a world where tradition meets craft. As both practitioner and storyteller, he reveals the skill, strength and precision behind hedgelaying, an ancient practice that shapes not just the land, but the ecosystems within it.