Hedge care here is defined by the clay. The town sits low on the heavy Weald clay of the Low Weald, so hedge maintenance in Hailsham is as much about managing vigorous, clay-fed growth as anything, on hedges that grow lush and thick in the damp. We look after them across the town and out to Hellingly, Upper Dicker, Magham Down, and the lanes towards the Pevensey Levels, tailoring the work to the hedge in front of us. Below, we go into how the clay shapes the work and how we keep hedges in check.
Low Weald Clay and Thick Hedgerows
Good hedge maintenance in Hailsham starts with the ground. The town sits in the Low Weald, and the soil under it is mostly heavy Weald clay. That clay holds water well, which is good for growth but means hedges here can put on a lot in a season and turn heavy and overgrown if they aren’t kept in check. The land is low-lying and fairly flat, without the exposed ridges you get further north in the High Weald, so hedges are less wind-beaten and more likely to grow lush and full. This is classic hedgerow country, and thick, well-kept boundaries are part of what the area looks like.