Making the coolest of cool hedges

High Wood is wonderful. We were there on a cold, clear day. It's not very big but it has a gorgeous stream and lovely wild cherries. In the spring there are bluebells and wood anemones!

Over the past few weeks, staff and volunteers have been constructing a deadwood hedge to protect a newly coppiced coupe from roe and muntjac deer.

The hedge is made from material cut at the site during the management work on the coppice. Reserve Officer Dan Jacklin modelled its design on a hedge he saw while researching traditional coppicing methods.

Hazel stakes are rammed firmly into the ground as support. On one side, the stakes are upright; on the other, at a diagonal. Brash is compacted into the centre and long hazel binders woven through the upright stakes to strengthen the hedge.

The bramble cut from the open area is stacked up next to the structure. This is likely to grow.

It’s good for the team as they do not have to extract waste wood from the site; it’s economically efficient and environmentally friendly as less wood is burned. Though we still had a fire!

Deadwood hedges offer a wildlife corridor as well as nesting, resting and safe living space for a variety of species.

Coppicing itself makes the woodland habitat more varied. Because coppices are managed on a rotation, with different areas (called ‘coupes’) cut each year and then left for between five and twenty years, coppiced woodland includes trees of different ages. This variety suits our native flora and fauna.

Young coppice is ideal for flowers like anemones and bluebells, butterflies like many of the fritillaries, and birds like linnets and nightjars. After four years or so, the habitat’s perfect for many moth species as well as warblers and nightingales. Mature coppice suits hazel dormice.

So, the coppiced coupes at High Wood support biodiversity in their own right – but the staff and volunteers have added to that by constructing the rather handsome hedge!