A dead hedge - or deadwood hedge - is a barrier constructed from cut branches, saplings, and foliage. The material can be gathered following pruning or clearing, and in traditional forms of woodland management, such as coppicing.
At High Wood, Northants, Trust staff and volunteers have been constructing a deadwood hedge to protect a newly coppiced coupe (a divided section of woodland) from roe and muntjac deer, who, if not prevented, would nibble away any new shoots. This hedge has been made from material cut at the site during recent management work on the coppice; reserves officer Dan Jacklin modelled the design on a hedge seen while researching traditional coppicing methods.
Hazel stakes were rammed firmly into the ground as support - on one side the stakes are upright, at a diagonal on the other. Brash (small twiggy, thorny cuttings) was then compacted into the centre and long hazel binders woven through the upright stakes to strengthen the hedge. Bramble cut from the open area was then stacked up next to the structure and will be likely to grow (see images below). This practise works well for the team as it means they don't have to extract waste wood from the site, as well as being economically efficient and environmentally friendly. Deadwood hedges also offer a great wildlife corridor providing nesting, resting and safe living space for a variety of species.
Coppicing helps make the woodland habitat more varied, and the coppices are managed on rotation, with different areas cut each year then left for between 5-20 years, so coppiced woodland includes trees of different ages: this variety suits native flora and fauna.
Young coppice is ideal for flowers such as anemones and bluebells, butterflies - eg many of the fritillaries, and birds such as linnets and nightjars. After four years or so, the habitat becomes perfect for many moth species as well as warblers and nightingales, and mature coppice also suits hazel dormice. So these coppiced coupes at High Wood support biodiversity in their own right – and the staff and volunteers have now added to that by constructing this rather handsome and very useful hedge.
