Laying the hedgerows in Redland Green

We are delighted to announce that Redland and Cotham Amenities Society has agreed to provide funding so that we can lay the two hedgerows in the Green. This will greatly enhance the health and longevity of these hedgerows, and will improve the habitat they provide to wildlife.

One hedgerow (pictured below) consists of field maple trees, and runs along the boundary of the Green with the Metford Road allotments (from the junction of the Green with Metford Road to the Metford allotment gate in the Green).

The other hedgerow runs along the rear boundary fence of the houses in St Oswald's Road, and is a mixed species hedge that was planted in the winter of 2011/12. Both hedges are about 100 metres long. Laying needs to be done in the winter, before the onset of the nesting season in April.

Champion local hedge layer Malcolm Dowling laid the first of the two hedges (the mixed species hedge) In November 2018, and trained volunteers from the local community who were keen to learn this ancient and traditional countryside skill.

The field maple hedge (below) has been flail cut but the council every couple of years. This has resulted in a very "gappy" hedgerow, as the picture below shows. This hedge will be laid over a weekend in January 2019.