Words from the Hedge

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. Each one is a testament too generations of human skill and labour, requiring ongoing maintenance to survive and thrive. And they are essential for much-needed wildlife recovery.

Written with vigour and humour, and exploring everything from the practical complexities of modern farming and land ownership to the challenges faced by conservationists, Words from the Hedge is a timely exploration of how we can use hedges to make the British countryside a place were 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