Cornish hedging - Heritage Crafts |

Status

Endangered

Craft category

Other

Historic area of significance

Cornwall

Area practiced currently

Cornwall

Origin in the UK

Bronze Age

Current No. of professionals (Main income)

11-20 (estimate) The Guild of Cornish Hedgers has 13 full-time members. See ‘other information’

Current No. of professionals (Side income)

21-50 The Guild of Cornish Hedgers has 7 part-time members See ‘other information’

Current No. of trainees

21-50 (See Training Organisations for more information)

Current No. of leisure makers

21-50 – mainly volunteers working with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Penwith Landscape Partnership

History

Cornish hedging is a practice that goes back around 4000 years and is typical to Cornwall.

Cornish hedges create the distinctive character and framework of the Cornish landscape. Placed end to end, they would stretch for about 30,000 miles, and they preserve field patterns that in some places are thousands of years old. They were first used to enclose land for cereal crops and over time informed Cornwall’s traditional and distinctive landscape. They provide vital habitats, wildlife corridors, shelter, shade and sustenance and can help alleviate water and soil run-off.

It is said that a good hedge can last for a hundred years without the need for any repairs. New developments are encouraged to retain existing hedges and create new ones. New road schemes are almost always accompanied by a new Cornish Hedge. Cornish planning authorities have frequently made it a condition of approval of new developments that the site is bounded by newly made Cornish hedges. This positive promotion of these vital landscape, ecological and historical assets requires a workforce that can deliver on the construction and repair of hedges. Cornish Hedging is recognised as a traditional skill that takes time and dedication to learn.

For an extensive archive of resources please visit Cornish Hedges.

Techniques

Please refer to the Guild’s Code of Good Practice.

Local forms

There are slight area variations to hedges across Cornwall which often relate to the purpose of the hedge as either a retaining or free-standing hedge.

Hedge styles also vary across the county depending upon the local geology/stone types. The local geology is a key factor in the patterning and design of the stone facing of a hedge, along with individual hedgers styles. Built in hedge furniture such as stiles and sheep creeps will also reflect these variations and add to local distinctiveness.

Sub-crafts

Killas (slate) hedges
Granite hedges

Issues affecting the viability

Training and recruitment issues: In 2023, The Guild had 2 trainers and assessors able to deliver the Lantra accredited training courses. One of these trainers is a highly skilled hedger but now in his late seventies. The cost of the 10-day Lantra Intermediate training course which forms the beginning of the craftsperson’s route equates at £1048. This is prohibitive to many young people. There was a lack of training sites across Cornwall for people to train in hedging. As a result, CREST was founded with funding from Farming in Protected Landscapes and in partnership with Cornwall Heritage Trust. Over the period of their project which began activity in August 2023 and is completing on 31 March 2025, CREST managed to engage trainees in 200 training places for Cornish hedging. All of these places were subsidised by FiPL funding so that a 10 day course would cost £460. Fifty eight of the training places also benefitted from bursaries to either fully or partially fund the subsidised cost to trainees. However, until further funding is secured, the issues of financial barriers to training will again be in place. However, a dedicated training site has been established along with relationships with farms and landowning trusts that can offer training venues in future.
Market issues: The demand for hedging work is high. The new roadworks projects on the A30 and the link road in St Austell total 25km of hedging alone. Supply of raw materials, allied materials and tools: There is often a lack of local stone, particular to each area, to ensure new build and hedge repairs are kept in keeping with the local character of the landscape.
Small business issues: There is a lack of awareness in the quality and skill involved in the craft of a Cornish Hedger. A traditionally built hedge takes time, knowledge and money to construct, something developers are often not prepared to add to the cost of construction. This can result in poorly built hedges that do not reflect local character and sometimes last as little as days before they collapse. The Guild has only recently created a directory of working craftsmen/women enabling craftsmen to link together for work, knowing that a common high-quality standard is adhered to. Volunteer time to support the Guild had waned in recent years, but is now supported by a new team of craftsmen/women working together. The data base of Cornish hedgers in the community requires updating and there is a lack of funding to cover this important outreach work.
Ageing workforce: There is a small collective of young new-comer Guild Craftsmen/women but the historic tradition of handing the skill down through the generations has waned.
Legislative issues: The Hedgerow Regulations Act 1997 does not protect Cornish Hedges as they are not classed as hedgerows.

Support organisations

Guild of Cornish Hedgers: This was established in 2002 in response to critical decline in the ancient craft of Cornish hedging. Most of the remaining traditional hedgers were coming toward the end of their active life and were deeply concerned about the poor standard of workmanship in hedging today. The frequent collapse of recently-built hedges, sometimes within weeks of completion, was giving Cornish hedges a bad name and leading to hedge removal and lack of demand for new hedges.
CREST (Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust) is an independent sister organisation working in partnership with the Guild of Cornish Hedgers to deliver Guild Lantra training courses, a Cornish Hedging education programme and conduct Cornish Hedging development work in partnership with other organisations.
Cornwall Council Hedge Group: The Hedge Group are a group of key personnel from Cornwall Council, Cornwall National Landscape, CREST and The National Trust who meet regularly to coordinate supportive work to promote the recognition of hedges in their historic, functional and environmental context.

Training organisations

Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust offer Lantra Customised Provision training in Cornish Hedging at Introduction, Foundation, Intermediate Certificate and Advanced Certificate level. The guild of Cornish hedgers remain active in training and offer a 10 day training.

Some bursary funding may be available to subsidise the cost of training.

For more information on CREST courses and bursaries click here

As of 2025, 200 training places were taken by approximately 185 Trainees, 23 of which have completed the intermediate training.

Craftspeople currently known

See the Guild of Cornish Hedgers’ directory of guild qualified members.

Other information

Surveys of Cornish Hedgers

A 2009 survey of hedgers identified 134 people working in Cornish Hedging. It is unclear how many of these are still practising and how many are full/part-time. CREST are hoping to carry out more work to follow up these respondents to update these figures.

A survey carried out in 2023 by Cornwall Council had 51 respondents. 15% said that they were working as full-time hedgers, 33% were doing it as part of a wider role and 25% doing it as a hobby or in their own time.

Estimating numbers of makers:

Using the data collected in 2013 we have made some assumptions about the numbers of practitioners hedging today. N.B. These are estimates and further work to update the Guild directory of hedgers is due to be carried out by the Guild of Cornish Hedgers. Of 134 Hedgers identified in 2009, 20% are now likely to be retired or deceased. Of the remaining 108:

15% are estimated to be full time (approx. 16)
33% are estimated to be hedging as part of a wider role (approx. 35)
25% are estimated to be doing it as a hobby or in their spare time (approx. 27)

References

https://www.cornishhedgers.org.uk/cornish-hedging/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_hedge
http://www.cornishhedges.co.uk/
https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment/trees-hedges-and-woodlands/hedges/
AONB Cornish Hedges Education Pack

Red List Reviewers 2025

Our thanks go to our 2025 reviewers:

Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust CIO
Leighton Paull – LP Stonemasonry Ltd
CREST – Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust CIO
Cornwall Council – Strategic Historic Environment Service

We consult with a wide range of practitioners and organisations to review and update the Red List. Some choose to remain anonymous but all feedback is taken into account.

If you would like to suggest any changes or additions to this page please contact us here

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