A record 62 people competed at the recent 26th annual Blackmore and Sparkford Vale hunt hedge-laying competition at Babcary.

The skill of hedge-laying dates back to before medieval times and is a central feature of our unique landscape.

The upright shoot is cut just above the ground at a 45-degree angle and bent over to form a thick barrier. It is then held down by a crook driven into the ground. This style of hedging is indicative of Devon, Dorset and south Somerset. In other counties, stakes are driven into the ground instead of crooks, and in some areas hazel is wound along the top of the stakes to stop the laid trunks from rising, Our Westcountry style doesn’t achieve the heights that stakes can manage, but after a year it makes a solid mass that will withstand an aggressive bullock.

This year’s hedge was unusual because it contained a preponderance of field maple, which has the reputation of being brittle and snapping right off. The competitors were lucky, however, perhaps because the sap was beginning to rise.

The unique feature of this competition is that professional trainers work with the novice class, enabling anyone to enter – even if they don’t have any hedge-laying experience.