Ever wondered how these beautiful hazel hurdles are made?

Several of our volunteers found out when they enjoyed a day’s training organised by the AONB Partnership at the beginning of July. Even the rain didn’t spoil the fun!

The weaving of hazel hurdles is a traditional craft still practised today in the AONB by Sam Ansell of the Coppice Co-op.  In winter he cuts the woody rods in managed coppice woodland, bundles up the flexible rods and takes them to his yard where they are split with a bill hook and woven into panels.

Sam said “Traditional hurdle-making is a fascinating skill and one that deserves to be preserved for future generations.”

Sam showed the volunteers how to fix the upright rods and then coax and twist the hazel into these beautiful and functional panels.

For further information on the work of the Coppice Co-op and the courses on offer, please visit http://coppicecoop.co.uk/