Hedging success in National Park

ORGANISERS of the first hedging contest held in the Yorkshire Dales National Park are giving themselves a big pat on the back after the event proved a real crowd puller.

And plans are in the pipeline to make it a regular event in the future.

The first Yorkshire Dales Annual Hedge Laying Competition was organised by the Lancashire and Westmorland Hedge Laying Association as part of its Lancashire and Westmorland Grand Prix and it was part funded by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) through the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

Association chairman Joe Craig said: "I am grateful to the landowners for allowing us to use the hedges and adjacent fields for the competition, and I’d like to congratulate all competitors for their high standard of hedge laying on the day. It was a pleasure to watch.”

Adrian Shepherd, theYDNPA’s Farm and Countryside Officer, said: "The success of the inaugural competition gives an excellent basis to continue the competition as an annual event in the National Park.

“It obviously benefits the environment by keeping these vital wildlife ‘pathways’ in good condition and it is an excellent way of making sure this traditional skill lives on and is passed down to the next generation.

“I would also like to thank the local farmers, the YDNPA Rangers and the Dales Volunteers for helping the competition run so well."