Hedge Layer
Restore and maintain traditional hedgerows using LANTRA-qualified cutting, bending, and laying techniques — a countryside management skill integral to agri-environment schemes and rural heritage.
High
Low
1–2 days for the LANTRA Level 2 Award foundation; proficiency in a regional style typically develops over 2–3 seasons; chainsaw certification: 2–3 days per certificate
LANTRA Level 2 Award in Hedgelaying; NPTC chainsaw certificates CS31 and CS39; National Hedgelaying Society regional style assessment; first aid at work
common
What you do
Hedge layers restore neglected hedgerows by cutting back most of the woody growth, then systematically bending and weaving living stems (pleachers) along the line of the hedge to create a dense, stockproof, and wildlife-rich boundary. Each regional tradition — Midlands, Welsh, Yorkshire, South of England, and others — has a distinct style of cut, angle, and binding that is assessed in the National Hedgelaying Society's annual competitions and used as the basis for training and qualification. Skilled hedge layers use billhooks, slashers, and chainsaws to prepare and lay the hedge, using stakes and binders (hazel or willow rods) to hold the pleachers in position and provide the finished structure.
LANTRA Level 2 Award in Hedgelaying is the principal training and qualification route. The National Hedgelaying Society (NHS) provides guidance, regional assessors, and the annual national competition that benchmarks skill levels across traditions. Chainsaw certificates (CS31, CS39) are required for safe use of chainsaws in hedgelaying. Many hedge layers work as part of a broader countryside management practice — combining hedgelaying with fencing, ditching, coppicing, and woodland management. Agri-environment scheme payments (Countryside Stewardship in England) fund hedgerow restoration on participating farms.
Why this career is resilient
Hedgelaying is a heritage countryside skill with statutory support through agri-environment schemes — Countryside Stewardship payments fund hedgerow restoration as part of the UK Government's environmental land management commitments, providing a publicly funded demand stream. The biodiversity value of traditional hedgerows is well-established, and the 25 Year Environment Plan, Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements are all increasing the area of hedgerow being actively managed. The regional variety of styles and the requirement for physical skill, judgement, and knowledge of plant response to cutting ensure that hedge laying remains a skilled, craft-based operation that cannot be mechanised.
A typical day
Morning: arrive on a farm contracted through a Countryside Stewardship agreement for 200 metres of Midlands-style hedge laying — clear back the base of the hedge with a billhook, identify the best stems for pleaching, and begin making the basal cuts and laying the first section of pleachers at the correct angle. Afternoon: continue laying, driving stakes at regular intervals and weaving binders along the top to secure the pleachers. End of day: clear and chip the brash, inspect the day's work against the specification, and record metreage completed for the Countryside Stewardship claim.
Routes in
Full-time college course
Study full-time at a further education college, usually for 1–2 years. You will need to fund yourself or apply for a student loan (available for Level 4+ courses).
Employer-funded training
Some employers — particularly the NHS, emergency services, and larger care providers — run their own funded training programmes. You apply for a job and train as you work.
Pay and costs
Earning potential: Employed countryside worker including hedgelaying: £20,000–£28,000. Self-employed hedge layer contracting to farms and estates: £24,000–£38,000. Rates typically per metre or per day; agri-environment contracted work provides a reliable seasonal income base.
Training costs: LANTRA Level 2 Award: approximately £200–£400. NPTC chainsaw certificates: £200–£400 each. Billhooks, slasher, and hand tools: £150–£400. Chainsaw: £400–£800. PPE (chainsaw trousers, helmet, boots): £400–£700.