Words from the Hedge
eBook - ePub

Words from the Hedge

A Hedgelayer's View of the Countryside

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Words from the Hedge

A Hedgelayer's View of the Countryside

About this book

 Words from the Hedge   is a passionate evocation of the history, beauty and importance of our hedgerows by a craftsman who has been laying hedges for almost three decades and has the scars to prove it. 

Hedges are as old as civilisation and as emblematic of the British countryside as chalk streams, hay meadows and oak trees. But unlike woodland and rivers, farmland hedges remain on the periphery of the public consciousness, often going unnoticed and almost always underappreciated. Wielding his pen as deftly he does a billhook, professional hedgelayer Richard Negus takes us on a journey that reveals these ribbons of thorn and barb are so much more than mere decoration or boundary markers. They are essential for much-needed wildlife recovery. If we don't get our hedges right, there is little hope for species like the almost-extinct turtledove.

And yet, no hedge is truly 'wild'; each one is a testament to generations of human skill and labour, requiring ongoing maintenance to survive and thrive. But there is a problem: we need more hedgelayers, and this is something Negus is trying to solve.

Introducing a lively band of fellow countrymen and countrywomen along the way, Negus explores everything from the practical complexities of modern farming and land ownership to the challenges faced by conservationists. Written with vigour and humour, as well as rare insight and honesty,   Words from the Hedge  is a timely exploration of how we can use hedges to make the British countryside a place where nature has a home.

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Yes, you can access Words from the Hedge by Richard Negus in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Biological Sciences & Rural Sociology. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Foreword
  5. Prologue
  6. 1: Terroir, the country I know
  7. 2: Practical Conservationists
  8. 3: Plan then Plant
  9. 4: Silent Jim
  10. 5: Flea Barn
  11. 6: Bucolic
  12. 7: Deadly Darren
  13. 8: Flailing About
  14. 9: Enemies?
  15. 10: Regrowth
  16. Conservation hedgelaying and how you can do it
  17. Some favoured plants for an East Anglian hedge
  18. A Note on Sources
  19. Acknowledgements
  20. A Note on the Author
  21. Copyright