Wildlife In Mid Sussex Protected By 2,000 Year Old Rural Skills

Tuesday, 25 July 2023 15:19

By John Warburton @Warblefly

Traditional Hedge-Laying in Haywards Heath

Traditional rural ways of working, some dating back to the time of the Romans, have found their place as experts preserve the natural environment in Haywards Heath.

According to the town council, its grounds team members have been successfully using ancient hedge-laying techniques at the wildlife nature walk, adjacent to Haywards Heath Cemetery in Western Road.

Grounds Team member Darren Hulbert, a member of the South of England Hedge Laying Society, helped train up fellow members of the team while laying the hedge at the nature walk in Spring.

The authority said today (July 25) that its members are delighted that this is now flourishing, providing essential biodiversity corridors for all the different insects and other creatures that now live in them.

Team members point out that the art of hedge laying dates back to Roman times, as a countryside skill that has been practised throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The Haywards Heath Grounds Team used this traditional hedge laying technique because hedges play an important part of the ecosystem, offering homes and protection to a wide range of native birds, animals and wildlife, providing excellent weather protection and helping hold the soil together to help prevent erosion and flooding.

HM King Charles III is the patron of the National Hedge Laying Society and has long been a fan of the ancient art of hedge laying, planting over 15 miles of hedgerows at his Highgrove home and at the Sandringham Estate.

Town Council staff said Darren believes that the time and skills that hedge laying requires are essential for the benefits it provides to our local environment for people and our wildlife — because hedges make up such an important part of the UK’s ecosystem.