Description
Words from the Hedge is a passionate evocation of the history, beauty and importance of our hedgerows by a Suffolk 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 as 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.
“Richard Negus is the best kind of history teacher”, Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of Cows.
“A beautiful evocation of the quiet drama of hedges”, Adam Henson, farmer and BBC Countryfile presenter.
“He knows his stuff, because he does the stuff”, John Lewis-Stempel, farmer, writer and best-selling author.
“A joyful and illuminating read”, Rebecca Smith, author of Rural.
About the Author
Richard Negus is a professional hedgelayer and conservationist from Suffolk. His writing champions the people, the wildlife and the landscape of his native Suffolk countryside. He is a features writer and country diarist for the Shooting Times and has written for the Suffolk Magazine, Suffolk & Norfolk Life, The Field and The Critic. He appears each month on BBC Radio Suffolk with his ‘Letter From the Country’. Words from the Hedge is his first book.
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