5616 x 3744 px | 47,5 x 31,7 cm | 18,7 x 12,5 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
2008
Ubicazione:
Oxfordshire, England.
Altre informazioni:
The traditional country craft of Midland Bullock style hedgelaying in rural Oxfordshire England. Traditional hedgelaying declined after the 1939-1945 war due to factors such as the availability of labour, the introduction of machines to cut hedges, wire fences and changes in agriculture that placed emphasis on production. By the 1960s hedges were declining at an alarming rate. Lack of maintenance meant that hedges became tall and gappy with nothing at the bottom - in effect a line of trees. Many hedges were grubbed out to make larger fields that could be more efficiently managed by larger machinery. In the early 1970's three hedge layers realised that soon the valuable skills of hedgerow management that had been acquired over hundreds of years would be lost forever and conceived the idea of setting up a society to enable the skills to be documented and passed on to others. The National Hedgelaying Society may be found at www.hedgelaying.org.uk from where this information is taken. The style of hedgelaying depicted in this photograph is called 'Midland Bullock'. Farms with large animals, such as cattle and horses, need hedges able to withstand the weight of the animal pushing against them. Styles such as the Midland Bullock were developed for this purpose. With a finished height of 4ft 6in, the stakes are driven into the ground 18 inches apart behind the stool (stem) line towards the brush (bushy) side. Hazel binders are woven along the top to give maximum strength. The livestock would be in the field behind the brush side of the hedge with a crop on the other side (face or plough side).
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