Isle of Wight Hedgelaying Competition: History

Including past competition information

Each year, the Isle of Wight Hedgerow Group organises the Isle of Wight Hedgelaying Competition. A separate competition has been run by the Wight Nature Fund since 2024.

Early competitions

Years ago, the IW Hedgelaying Competition was run alongside the annual ploughing match. This tradition died out in the 20th century, most likely as the craft of hedgelaying began to wane and hedges were removed from fields across the country - including the Isle of Wight. This made suitable sites harder to find, and there were fewer practitioners of the craft.

By the 1980s there was interest growing in the craft of hedgelaying amongst conservationists and local communities, perhaps fuelled by the realisation that the last generation of farm workers who had actively practised the skill was fast dying out.

There are records showing that the Isle of Wight Council's Countryside Management Service set up a competition starting in the early 1990s. We're not sure exactly when the first one was but in October 1991 Ian Rowat ordered stakes and heathers for 'This year's hedgelaying competition' from the Abbot brothers, and mentioned that the site was to be the Fighting Cocks, Arreton.

An undated document of similar age shows the rules of the competition back then were not that different to the rules today.

1992 Competition Instructions

1992 Competition Instructions
The competition will actually start at 10am and 11 yards of hedging will be available to lay within a 5 hour time limit. Obviously to enable positions to be drawn from a hat and stakes and tools to be organised you will need to be on ground at 9.30am. All hedging stakes and heathers will be provided by C.M.S. Different length stakes have been supplied to allow different styles to be adopted. No style will be stipulated. The judges will be looking for well executed cuts on pleachers, the use and positioning of stakes and heathers and the overall finish of the hedge. Positions will be given for the first three places and prizes donated by W Hursts will be as follows:
  • 1st prize £30 gift voucher for Hursts
  • 2nd prize £15 gift voucher for Hursts
  • 3rd prize £5 gift voucher for Hursts
Winners will expect to stay for the prize giving ceremony which will start at 4pm and to receive a hedge laying cup which will be returned for next years competition.

In 1992 we have a report that a competition was held, and there were five competitors. In 1993, W Hurst & Sons become official sponsors of the competition, a role they maintained for many years. In 1995, a competition was held at the Countryman Pub, Limerstone, and 244 spectators attended - as big a crowd as we sometimes see today! Also noted was the introduction of 'The Countryman Cup' for best novice. Prior to this there was only a single Open class of entry. In 1996 a competition was held in Calbourne - we don't know much more than that. Because our records are patchy, we don't have information about other competitions, although it seems likely that the competition was held annually through those years. We know 1999 was missed as Ian Rowat got a new job and left, leaving new Senior Countryside Officer Matthew Chatfield to take over.

The Isle of Wight Hedgerow Group

In the late 1990s a few enthusiasts on the Island formed a group which became known as IWHG, the Isle of Wight Hedgerow Group, a group to promote hedges and hedgelaying, and agreed to stage the hedgelaying competition. The first IWHG-managed competition was held in 1998 at Chapel Furlong Farm, Hulverstone, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Carder. It was supported by the Isle of Wight Council's Countryside Section (the successor body to the Countryside Management Service), and by FWAG, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group. Both of these organisations have since wound up, but the hedgelaying competition lives on!

Since then, the revived competition has been held (mostly) annually at various locations across the Island.

2002 Whitecroft Tony and Matt

Tony Ridd and and Matt Chatfield of IWHG: Whitecroft, 2002

Details of past competitions

This is an incomplete list of competition results and reports. Photos are being added gradually, where we have them. Older competitions have little in our archive, so if you have any more results or information about competitions prior to 2008 we would love to add them to these pages.