Defending My House with a Living Blackthorn Hedge | Anglo-Saxon Hedgelaying and Coppicing

The Anglo-Saxons used laid hedges to protect their houses and crops from livestock and raiders.

Native hedge species can be laid, by partially cutting near the base of the sapling, and bending it over so that it continues to live, but also puts up lots of new shoots, making a thicker and stronger hedge.

Some of the first accounts of hedges are in Roman records of the Celts, where they were said to have used hedges as a form of military defence and fortification against enemy cavalry.

Indeed, hedges of blackthorn and hawthorn are incredibly dense, sharp and formidable; and when combined with a ditch they make excellent defensive against any who would try to climb through or over the hedge.

In the Medieval period, hedges were often used to keep livestock out, rather than in. Especially in those areas which practised common grazing, allowing livestock to roam relatively freely.

The blackthorn around my house is a great hedging species. Hedges can be laid by partially cutting the stems, about halfway, then bending over, so that the tree lies at an angle. The stem and branches are then woven in to the hedge.

With the bark still intact on one side, the laid stem does not die. Instead it continues living and sends up new shoots, both along the laid stem and from the base of the tree. This means that laid hedges get stronger and thicker over time as the new shoots grow.

Laying hedges is similar to coppicing in that it rejuvenates the hedge and is a sustainable way of managing hedges.

A bill hook is the best tool for hedge laying, and these have been found at Anglo-Saxon sites. But a light axe also works and may have been the tool used by many who did not have a specialised hedging billhook.

I have continued to coppicing the overshoot hazel around my house this winter. The overstood hazel has collapsed, with many of the old stems lying down and pulling up the bank at the stream.

Cutting the hazel will allow new young shoots to grow, for sustainable harvesting. The stems are cut as close to the base as possible to encourage neat regrowth; at an angle so that they shed rainwater.

Between the path and the stream, there is no hedge, so I will plant a new one. I gathered and dug up wild saplings; all historic, native species; hazel, elm, blackthorn and field maple.

They are planted about a foot apart, in a staggered row, ideal for laying in several years time. The laid blackthorn hedge will start to bud and shoot this spring, and won’t need to be laid again for five to seven years, apart from some trimming and weaving to keep it tidy.

Woven fences of blackthorn, around the coppice stools, proved good protection against deer, which otherwise like to eat the young shoots, and could potentially kill of all regrowth.

Blackthorn was also woven in amongst the new hedge saplings to protect them from deer browsing.

The hedge will eventually form a circular compound around the house and other buildings.

With thanks to:
Herknungr, Musician, playing '"Spekð".
Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife.
Hector Cole, Blacksmith, for forging the T-shaped hewing axe.

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