Location: Clay pits area, Cornwall
Client: Private farmer
Services: Traditional Cornish hedging, gateway infill, native hedgerow planting, rural boundary restoration, planning specification compliance
Client Brief
We were asked by a farmer in the clay pits area of Cornwall to reinstate a section of traditional Cornish hedge through an old gateway.
This was almost the reverse of many access jobs. Rather than opening up a new entrance, the aim was to close one down properly and return the boundary to a more traditional form.
The gateway was no longer needed for access, and the client needed it infilled in line with planning requirements. The specification required the new section to be rebuilt as a traditional Cornish hedge, rather than simply fenced, banked up or blocked off.
That was the right approach for the site. In this part of Cornwall, old hedges and field boundaries are a major part of the landscape, and where a gap is closed, it should look and function like part of the original boundary.
THRC Solution
Rebuilding the Boundary Properly
A Cornish hedge is not just a wall, and it is not just an earth bank.
Built properly, it is an earth-filled bank faced with stone, broad at the base and tapering towards the top. Over time, once vegetation establishes on the top, it becomes a living boundary: part wall, part hedge, part habitat.
For this project, the old gateway was infilled using traditional Cornish hedge construction methods. The new section was built to tie back into the existing hedge line so it did not look like an obvious patch or afterthought.
As with all Cornish hedging work, the shape and proportion mattered. The base needed enough width and weight to give the hedge strength, while the stone-facing had to be placed carefully so the new section would sit naturally with the older hedge on either side.
Working to Planning Requirements
The work was carried out to satisfy planning requirements, but we did not treat that as just a box-ticking exercise.
A planning specification can set out what needs to be achieved, but the quality of the finished hedge depends on how it is built on the ground. The stone has to be chosen and placed properly. The core has to be formed well. The hedge has to be shaped so it sheds water, settles naturally and gives the planted top a good chance of establishing.
This is where practical experience matters. A Cornish hedge should not look like a new wall dropped into a field boundary. It should feel like the boundary has been repaired and put back into use.
Native Hedgerow Planting
Once the hedge structure was complete, the top was planted with a native hedgerow mix.
The planting helps the new section become a living hedge over time, rather than remaining just a stone-faced bank. As it establishes, it will provide cover, food and movement routes for birds, insects and small mammals, while helping the new section blend into the wider field boundary.
Using native hedgerow species also improves the habitat value of the boundary. A gateway infill might seem like a small piece of work, but when it is built and planted properly, it becomes part of the farm’s wider network of hedges, field margins and wildlife corridors.
End Result
The old gateway was closed with a traditionally built Cornish hedge that tied back into the existing boundary and met the planning requirements for the site.
The new section restored the line of the field boundary, improved the appearance of the hedge, and created a planted living structure that will continue to develop over time.
For THRC, this was a good example of small-scale traditional Cornish hedging work done properly. It was not a large project, but it needed the same care as a bigger one: understanding the specification, building to the right form, using the correct materials and finishing the hedge in a way that suited the landscape.
Sometimes the job is to create access. Sometimes it is to close it back up. Either way, the boundary still needs to look like it belongs in Cornwall.
Services Included
- Traditional Cornish hedging
- Cornish hedge rebuilding
- Gateway infill
- Rural boundary restoration
- Stone-faced earth bank construction
- Native hedgerow planting
- Planning specification compliance
- Agricultural boundary works
- Farm hedge restoration
- Habitat corridor creation
- Countryside boundary works