Countryside Management

We offer a range of traditional, sustainable land management services such as hedge laying & planting, coppicing & low impact woodland management, tree planting, and scythe mowing of wildflower meadows.

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As the gardens I worked in became bigger, so did the trees, hedges and meadows I was responsible for.

In response to this, I set out to learn more about how these should be best managed.

I developed a keen interest in traditional, sustainable land management techniques, such as hedge laying, coppicing, low impact woodland management, and scythe mowing of wildflower meadows. 

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Woodland Management

I attended several training courses with the Royal Forestry Society, travelling to woodlands around the country studying different management options. I also spent time working with a number of forestry contractors & old school woodsmen, gaining additional experience in winching & chainsaw milling, working in both productive coppice and plantation woodlands.

These skills were put into practice on several projects for clients in 2024/25, including a poplar thinning, where we hand cut 30 tonnes of timber to open up the canopy, facilitating 200m of hedge planting on the site.

In South Wales, I am currently undertaking restoration of a Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS), where larch trees, now threatened by Phytophthora, have been planted into a fragment of Celtic temperate rainforest, degrading this incredible, rare habitat. 

I have experience hand cutting chestnut & hazel coppice, thinning both softwood & hardwood plantations, 

tree planting, formative pruning, widening rides etc. 

If you have a woodland in Essex or surrounding areas, and would like to discuss how it can benefit from sustainable, low impact management, I would love to hear from you!

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Hedge Laying 
I trained in hedge laying in the 2023/24 season with Paul Matthews & Simon Damant, both very accomplished and well respected South of England Style hedge layers.

I then went on to win the prize for best South of England Intermediate at the National Championships in October 2024.

Hedgelaying is a a timeless method of maintaining hedgerows, which otherwise grow leggy at the base, reducing their function as a barrier, for screening and habitat. The stems are 'pleached' - partially cut through and laid down at an angle, thickening the hedge and encouraging growth from the base. The hedge is then bound with hazel rods & stakes, strengthening it as it regrows.

If you have a hedge in Essex or surrounding areas which you'd like laid in the 2025/2026 season, please get in touch to make a booking. 

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Wildflower Meadows

I trained with Richard Brown of Wild Scythe in the use of a traditional Austrian Scythe for grassland & meadow management. This is an effective, versatile tool which both cuts the grass, and gathers it into windrows, making collection of the cuttings easy. 

Mowing by hand allows a very intimate insight into what is going on in a meadow, aiding the preservation of key species such as orchids, as well as species diversification by overseeding into areas where conditions are right. Mowing without machines also reduces ground compaction, enabling cutting much earlier & later in the season. 

I also offer wildflower meadow creation, having successfully grown several native perennial meadows from seed for clients last season. These are showing encouraging growth this spring, and I'm looking forward to sharing photos in the coming months as these begin to flower. 

I am available for scythe mowing & wildflower meadow creation & maintenance in Essex, please get in touch to discuss your project.​