Words from the Hedge: A Hedgelayer's View of the Countryside

(Hardback, International)

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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 under-appreciated. 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.

Reviews

"Heartfelt and hands-on ... Richard Negus's day job is preoccupied with twigs, branches and the bending of boughs - but his writing is deeply bound into roots and the soil itself." -- Patrick Laurie, author of Native: Life in a Vanishing Landscape

"Richard Negus is the best kind of history teacher: everyone needs to know how important Britain's hedges are." -- Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of Cows

"This is rare and essential account of working life outdoors. Words from the Hedge does what every book about rural life should do; shows how complex and varied it can be, but above all, how simple it could be if we listened more and understood the view from the fields itself. Richard's experience, intense curiosity and love of what he does makes this a joyful and illuminating read." -- Rebecca Smith, author of Rural

"Working at the countryside's coal face, Richard Negus has exceptional skills of observation." -- Jake Fiennes, author of Land Healer

"A beautiful evocation of the quiet drama of hedges." -- Adam Henson, farmer and Countryfile presenter

Author Bio

Richard Negus podcast.