Words from the Hedge

A Hedgelayer’s View of the Countryside

Richard Negus

$39.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Unbound
01 October 2025

Rural communities; Conservation of the environment; Rural planning; The countryside, country life

Words from the Hedge is a passionate evocation of the history, beauty and importance of our hedgerows by a 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 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.

By: Richard Negus
Imprint: Unbound
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: International ed.
Dimensions: Height: 222mm, Width: 141mm,
ISBN: 9781789652031
ISBN 10: 1789652030
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 01 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Richard Negusis a professional hedgelayer and conservationist. His writing champions the people, the wildlife and the landscape of his native Suffolk countryside. He is a features writer and country diarist forThe Shooting Timesand has written forThe Suffolk Magazine,Suffolk & Norfolk LifeandThe Field. He appears each month on BBC Radio Suffolk with his 'Letter From the Country'. Richard tweets @TrooperSnooks and writes a blog called 'Words From the Hedge' on his website. He is based in Suffolk, UK.