TOP dogs at one of the most traditional of all country crafts will be showing off their skills in Herefordshire today.

The National Hedge Laying Championships are visiting the county for the first time since 1954 and more than 120 star performers are coming from all over the UK to battle for the title of supreme champion at the event, which is being held at Turnastone Court Farm, Vowchurch.

The competition is based on 10 different styles of hedge laying.

Each competitor will be required to cut 10 yards of hedge in five hours.

In the process they will use about 200 sawn wood stakes, 2,000 hazel stakes and three-and-a-half miles of hazel binders to hold the hedges in position. Judging takes place this afternoon, points being awarded for the cutting, neatness and appearance of the hedge and adherence to the traditional style being cut.

During the annual competition, which is sponsored by Natural England, two special classes will be organised for young entrants in an attempt to teach new recruits the ancient art that can be dated back to Roman times.

In the economic downturn of 2009 rural jobless figures are predicted to outstrip urban unemployment, but the National Hedge Laying Society – which supervises the event – said there was a need for more hedge layers.

Robin Dale, chairman of the society and a hedge layer himself, said: “Hedge laying has been in decline since the war due to mechanisation of farms and grubbing out but today the laying and maintaining of hedgerows is a key part of good farming practice and the skills of the hedge layer are in great demand.

“We are actively encouraging young people to consider learning.

There is a constant supply of work and they can earn as much as £220 a day when fully-skilled. I have recently trained a young cycling journalist and a bricklayer, and we have quite a few women.

“Our society runs an accreditation scheme and we are very keen to improve the standard of training at educational institutions, as well as on our farms.

“On my farm I have 700 metres of hedge just waiting for people to learn on and once they have learned, it’s just a question of practice.”

However, hedge laying is about more than offering young people the chance of work.

Hedges are an intrinsic part of the British countryside, providing habitats for more than 600 plant species, 1,500 insect species, 65 birds and 20 mammals, including more than half of Britain’s rarest mammals.

Natural England is working with farmers and land managers to help reverse the long-term decline of hedgerows. Through its Environmental Stewardship schemes it offers financial payments for restoring – through hedge laying and coppicing – creating and maintaining hedgerows.

Roger Owen, regional director of Natural England, said: “Hedgerows are the most widespread semi-natural habitat in England and are essential to its countryside character.

“They are home to 125 priority Biodiversity Action Plan species – species that have declined significantly over the last 25 years, including the song thrush and yellowhammer.

“With 41 per cent of hedgerows in England now actively managed under an agri-environment scheme we are confident that by working with hedge layers and farmers we can continue to restore this quintessential feature of the landscape to health, conserving species and this very important wildlife habitat in the process.”

Mr Dale added: “Hedge laying has been practised for thousands of years.

It was referred to as a form of defensive wall in Roman documents in 55BC but hedge laying as we know it today began in the 18th century.

“As open fields were enclosed they were marked out, first with ditches and then hedges. A hedge left to grow unchecked will eventually become a line of trees and of no use for retaining livestock. Barbed wire was unknown at that time and so ways were sought to make the hedges stock proof.

“Once again the skills of the hedge layer came to the fore. Today’s hedgelayers are as much concerned with conserving our countryside as with making stock proof hedges. We now have a much greater knowledge of wildlife and how well-managed hedges are essential to the countryside.”

In addition to today’s hedge laying championships there will be displays of historic tools, stationary engines, trade stands and exhibitions by many of the major conservation organisations.

Food is available on site entry is free and there is ample parking space.

Visitors are welcome from 9.30am.

Judging begins at 2pm and prize giving will be at 4pm.