Hedgerow Talks
Recorded talks on hedgerows (2021-2023)
The talks we have run so far on Zoom are detailed below.
All are now available on our You Tube channel to watch again (links are below).
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Past talks - see below for links to recordings of talks we have enjoyed so far.
We would like to thank all the speakers for allowing us to record and make their talks available to all.
Please note that the sound quality is variable.
Online talk: Wednesday 27th February 2023
Hedgelaying defined with Derrick Hale
An entertaining talk by hedgelayer Derrick Hale who talks about the environmental and land management benefits of hedgelaying - how it came about and how long it has been practiced. He covers the principles of pleaching, cutting for regrowth Pollarding, coppicing and hedgelaying and how they compare, regional hedgelaying styles and why they have evolved the way they have Hedgelaying outside of the UK and how it can be useful for crocodile and hippopotamus control…
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Online talk: Wednesday 9th March 2022, 7pm
The Field Names of Shropshire
Dr Jayne Carroll and John Baker from the Institute for Name Studies (University of Nottingham) will talk on the fascinating topic of Shropshire field-names, and look at the types of trees and other flora mentioned in them as well as the general vocabulary for hedgerows and boundaries. The website for their Place Name project is here.
Online talk: Wednesday 12th January 2022, 7pm
The Plant Lore of our English Hedgerows
Recording now available here
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With Roy Vickery. Roy ran two fascinating hedge plant folklore walks in July in Shropshire and will also present a Zoom talk in January for a wider audience on this fascinating topic. He is a collector of plant folklore - plant names, herbal uses, sayings, legends and plants that were used to foretell the future. Roy has written extensively on plant folklore and his website, Plant Lore, is here.
Online talk: Wednesday 8th December, 7pm
"Er... what's in that hedge?!"
Recording now available here
With Adele Nozedar. An online talk about foraging for food in hedgerows. Adele says: "Recognition of plants is a wonderfully sensory experience; squeezing and smelling leaves, rubbing them between your fingers to get a sense of their juices and oils, and tasting nectar is all a part of the adventure."
Adele's website is here.
Online talk: Wednesday 20th October, 7pm
How to Manage a Hedge
Recording now available here
With Megan Gimber, Habitats Officer from the People's Trust for Endangered Species. Why do we have hedgerows? What do we mean by hedgerows? What does a good, healthy hedgerow look like (and a bad one)? How can we best manage them for wildlife and for humans? PTES's webpage on hedgerows is here.
Online talk: Wednesday 20th April 2022, 7pm
Woodland Biodiversity and the
Landscape Connection
This, the last of CPRE’s hedgerow talks and it highlights how woodlands can be managed to enhance biodiversity, and how hedgerows, trees, ponds and other natural connections can improve wildlife movement across the landscape.
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Russell and Graham's websites are well worth a look -
check them out here:
Online talk: Wednesday 9th February 2022, 7pm
Hedgerows, Trees and the Planning System
Recording now available here
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Emma Marrington, rural policy specialist at CPRE, will talk about hedgerows and trees and the planning system - including what CPRE has done and is doing to help protect our amazing hedgerows. Learn about Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and how to object to a planning application that includes hedgerow loss. Information on hedgerows on the CPRE national website can be found here.
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Extra online talk: Wednesday 15th December, 7pm
Hedgelaying
Recording now available here
A talk by one of the UK's top hedgelaying experts on the art and craft of hedgelaying, its past and future. Join hedgelayer and hedge expert Nigel Adams for a look at the fascinating history of the art of hedgelaying - why and how it is done, a look at regional styles and the future for hedgelaying in the UK. Nigel sits on the Hedgelink committee and has been involved in hedgerow research projects. He has competed in hedgelaying competitions for over 35 years. His website is here.
Online talk: Wednesday 10th November, 7pm
Insects and Hedgerows: the B-Lines project
Recording now available here
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Join Kate Jones, Bug Life's B-Lines project officer for Shropshire to learn about why our hedgerows are essential for invertebrates and other animals and make wildlife corridors in our landscape. Learn about the B-Lines project currently underway in Shropshire. The Buglife B-Lines project website is here.
Online talk: Wednesday 8th September, 7pm
A Natural History of the English Hedgerow
Recording now available here
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With John Wright, author of A Natural History of the Hedgerow. His account has been called "a fascinating amalgam of natural and cultural history brought vividly to life by his intimate knowledge of the countryside." A passionate natural historian, he is author of the River Cottage Handbook on Hedgerows and other edibles. He often appears on the River Cottage series for Channel 4. His website is here