Regional styles.

[Guest Gimlet]

I'm pleased to say I'm getting a decent amount of interest since moving to the Durham/Northumberland border. Some farm work, but mostly garden and paddock hedges. Thing is, Northumbrian style is rather haphazard, to put it politely, and wouldn't be my natural choice for a garden hedge. Scottish Borders style is almost identical to South of England, except binders are often not hazel and sometimes not present at all depending on availability. But still Borders or SoE would be a far better choice of style for an attractive and functional garden hedge than Northumbrian.

 

How hung up are people on staying faithful to the local style? Personally, I'm not. I would rather match style to function than geography. For instance, I never advised customers to have the low-lying Dorset style (which should be part of a bank and ditch system) just because the job was in Dorset, when the ground was flat and SoE would produce a far better stock hedge.  And if the hedge is a boundary between livestock and crops, why not use Midland Bullock, since that is what it is designed for, whether you're in the midlands or not? 

 

How do others play it? Are you regional purist or practical magpie..?

Edited February 5, 2022 by Gimlet

[Stere]

I don't know much about hedge laying but can't see why people traditionally would of being regional purists, as surely form follows function, so they would of done what worked best as stock barrier or to suit each individual situation with the use of local materials available?

 

 

 

So I think go for practical magpie.

 

http://treesplease.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Trees-Please-Hedge-Laying-and-Coppicing-Guidance-2.pdf

 

Quote

The preservation of distinct cultural landscapes is
an issue of widespread and justifiable interest,
hedges are an important component of our landscape
heritage. Where there is a local style of management
which influences their appearance in the landscape it
is preferable, where practical, to continue that
practice. In the case of County Durham there does
not appear to be a strong case for arguing that
hedgelaying should take a particular form. However
it is suggested that the following points be taken into
account

 

[agg221]

I also go for practical magpie.

 

Styles in all things are defined over regions but the regions are large and the boundaries are always going to be hazy anyway. I sit literally on the Essex/Suffolk border and am a mile from Cambridgeshire. My house is painted Suffolk pink - anyone who thinks I should find some specific Essex colour whereas next door should stay pink because they are 'over the border' would completely miss the point.

 

My short length of hedge was laid in a style which suited what I had to hand - I didn't have hazel for binders so used whatever I could cut out of the overgrown scrub in front of it before I grubbed it up - mostly plum suckers. It wasn't as pretty but it lasted as long as the stakes did so that will do fine. I will probably do the same from another bit of scrub when I lay it again in a few years time.

 

Alec

[MattyF]

Why is the Northumberland style haphazard ? It is very hard to find any info on it on the internet of books ,but to be honest I don't mind doing it if your getting paid by the meter as it is a lot easier.
Personally I would stick to the regional style for the reasons it's easier and the tradition of the area , it's like seeeing French roofs on Northumbrian buildings !

[Mark J]

23 hours ago, Gimlet said:

I'm pleased to say I'm getting a decent amount of interest since moving to the Durham/Northumberland border. Some farm work, but mostly garden and paddock hedges. Thing is, Northumbrian style is rather haphazard, to put it politely, and wouldn't be my natural choice for a garden hedge. Scottish Borders style is almost identical to South of England, except binders are often not hazel and sometimes not present at all depending on availability. But still Borders or SoE would be a far better choice of style for an attractive and functional garden hedge than Northumbrian.

 

How hung up are people on staying faithful to the local style? Personally, I'm not. I would rather match style to function than geography. For instance, I never advised customers to have the low-lying Dorset style (which should be part of a bank and ditch system) just because the job was in Dorset, when the ground was flat and SoE would produce a far better stock hedge.  And if the hedge is a boundary between livestock and crops, why not use Midland Bullock, since that is what it is designed for, whether you're in the midlands or not? 

 

How do others play it? Are you regional purist or practical magpie..?

I reckon you should make pretty hedges for gardens and use whatever works best for the rest. If a different approach brings about a better result then it makes sense to continue using it.

[Guest Gimlet]

3 hours ago, MattyF said:

Why is the Northumberland style haphazard ? It is very hard to find any info on it on the internet of books ,but to be honest I don't mind doing it if your getting paid by the meter as it is a lot easier.
Personally I would stick to the regional style for the reasons it's easier and the tradition of the area , it's like seeeing French roofs on Northumbrian buildings !
 

It's haphazard because it isn't tied down. It is just laid loosely between two staggered rows of stakes. It's not an attractive finish which does matter for garden hedges. And where I live the wind can be horrendous. I can't see a hedge surviving without firm bindings. 

[Mark J]

11 minutes ago, Gimlet said:

It's haphazard because it isn't tied down. It is just laid loosely between two staggered rows of stakes. It's not an attractive finish which does matter for garden hedges. And where I live the wind can be horrendous. I can't see a hedge surviving without firm bindings. 

Northumberland is quite haphazard, I imagine it works for that reason.

[gary112]

On 05/02/2022 at 19:44, Gimlet said:

I'm pleased to say I'm getting a decent amount of interest since moving to the Durham/Northumberland border. Some farm work, but mostly garden and paddock hedges. Thing is, Northumbrian style is rather haphazard, to put it politely, and wouldn't be my natural choice for a garden hedge. Scottish Borders style is almost identical to South of England, except binders are often not hazel and sometimes not present at all depending on availability. But still Borders or SoE would be a far better choice of style for an attractive and functional garden hedge than Northumbrian.

 

How hung up are people on staying faithful to the local style? Personally, I'm not. I would rather match style to function than geography. For instance, I never advised customers to have the low-lying Dorset style (which should be part of a bank and ditch system) just because the job was in Dorset, when the ground was flat and SoE would produce a far better stock hedge.  And if the hedge is a boundary between livestock and crops, why not use Midland Bullock, since that is what it is designed for, whether you're in the midlands or not? 

 

How do others play it? Are you regional purist or practical magpie..?

Have you done any Northumbrian style,or have you stuck to SofE?

[Stere]

Does the NE have much in rotation   hazel coppice for the  binders etc?

 

 

 

So the  local style sounds similar to Lancs. & Westmorland ?

 

 

 

 

[Guest Gimlet]

2 hours ago, gary112 said:

Have you done any Northumbrian style,or have you stuck to SofE?

Haven't done any in Northumberland yet. It's been Scottish borders which is effectively SoE so I'm wondering whether to stick with it. 

The issue is garden hedges really, which are all about appearance.