 will attempt to tame a 33ft row of trees around 10-13ft high into the time-honoured art form that is the Great British hedge. The competition is presided over by the National Hedgelaying Society (NHLS) and is now in its 43rd year. The age of the competitors involved spans from people in their 20s to those over 80. There are cash prizes of £100 for the winner of each of the 14 classes, while the overall supreme champion wins £200. If this may sound something of a fringe event then it is one that causes a buzz in the very highest echelons of British society. There are few greater advocates of hedgelaying than King Charles himself; an accomplished cutter in his own right, he has devoted more than 20 years learning the skill and has laid around 15 miles of hedgerow around his Highgrove estate. For years the King has also been patron of the NHLS, which was formed in 1978 to preserve Britain's hedgerows. While he has not competed at the national championships himself, every year he also hosts his own private competition for cutters on one of the royal country estates. The regal roots of hedgelaying go back a lot further than the current King. The practice dates back millennia and the oldest surviving hedge in Britain is believed to be Judith's Hedge in Cambridgeshire, planted by a niece of William the Conqueror in the 11th century. The hedgerow, which runs near Monks Wood, an ancient){kind=link}
Vital to our landscape and wildlife, the ancient craft of hedgelaying dates back to Roman times… but it’s enjoying a revival
On Saturday October 29, a gaggle of hardy men and women will convene at a muddy field in Oxfordshire, preparing for battle. Armed with bill hooks, axes and chainsaws, they will steel themselves against an ancient, spiky, and occasionally vicious foe – an overgrown hedge.
Forget the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar, the National Hedgelaying Championships, this year held at Clacks Farm near the village of Wallingford, is the most important date of the year for devotees of this historic craft. Over the course of five gruelling hours, the finest hedgelayers in the country (and some from abroad) will attempt to tame a 33ft row of trees around 10-13ft high into the time-honoured art form that is the Great British hedge.
The competition is presided over by the National Hedgelaying Society (NHLS) and is now in its 43rd year. The age of the competitors involved spans from people in their 20s to those over 80. There are cash prizes of £100 for the winner of each of the 14 classes, while the overall supreme champion wins £200.
If this may sound something of a fringe event then it is one that causes a buzz in the very highest echelons of British society. There are few greater advocates of hedgelaying than King Charles himself; an accomplished cutter in his own right, he has devoted more than 20 years learning the skill and has laid around 15 miles of hedgerow around his Highgrove estate.