Traditional countryside management skills were on show once again at an annual competition.
Denbighshire Countryside Service’s hedgelaying competition returned this year to take place on the Clwydian range above Clicain.
Forty participants including volunteers, took on the challenge of hedgelaying on land with permission of the landowner, just below the hill line.
As well as volunteers taking part there was also a staff category that included entries from Keep Wales Tidy, Flintshire Countryside Service, North Wales Wildlife Trust, Wirral Countryside Volunteers, Smithy Farm and Bodfari Environmental and teams from Denbighshire’s various countryside areas, together laying a total of 140 metres of hedgerow.
Denbighshire’s Countryside Service regularly lays hedges with the support of volunteers and to help them learn the skills, right throughout the county to support local nature.
They carry out the traditional skill to rejuvenate the hedgerows by partially cutting and laying the stems at an angle to encourage regrowth and fill gaps in the hedge.
This countryside management skill was widely used by farmers and landowners as part of their winter boundary managing efforts. Mechanical hedgerow maintenance then took over, but studies have shown how much more effective this older method is for the much-needed regeneration of hedgerows.
As the hedges become fresher and younger in appearance, this technique also allows the hedgerow base to thicken providing a denser habitat for biodiversity to thrive.
The results are included below and Cllr Barry Mellor, Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, and Biodiversity Champion presented the prizes.
Results
Volunteers category
1st Peter Martin & Ann Shaw
2nd Mal Edwards & Matt Jones
3rd Ed Howath & Huw
4th Fiona & Mary , joint with Terry Parry & Roger Jones
Staff category
1st Rich Masson
2nd Phil Lewis
3rd Sasha Taylor & Vitor Evora
4th Imogen Hammond & Saul Burton, joint with Geraint Hughes and Richard
Senior Ranger Jim Kilpatrick said:
“This was a fantastic location, and I want to thank everyone who helped make this day a great success. The event relay shows the strength of the service when we get together from each area with everyone contributing and making it such a positive experience for the volunteers as well.
“The end result thanks to everyone’s efforts looks amazing and will really help biodiversity in this part of the Clwydian Range.”
Cllr Barry Mellor added:
“The skills on show at this annual event are fantastic and really help keep this traditional land management skill alive for present and future generations.
“Hedgerows are essential habitats for our local wildlife and well done to all for getting stuck in at the competition to craft this fabulous example of skills from yesteryear that brings massive benefits to the land and biodiversity.”
