Words from the Hedge

Richard Negus

A Hedgelayer’s View of the Countryside

‘An important, funny and passionate defence of the British countryside’ The Critic

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, he 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’ wonderful new book is an important, funny and passionate defence of the British countryside. The hedge is merely the principal actor in a cast of many hundreds, the particular vantage point from which Negus observes the unfolding drama around him’ The Critic

‘Richard Negus is the best kind of history teacher’ Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life Cows

‘A beautiful evocation of the quiet drama of hedges’ Adam Henson, presenter of BBC Countryfile

‘A joyful and illuminating read’ Rebecca Smith, author of Rural

Paperback: 224pp

Published: Wilton Square (February 2026)

ISBN: 9781806770052