English Hawthorn Hedges
Noticeably seen along Clyde-Five Ways Road, Clyde, these hedges were living fences from the late 1800’s to the mid 1900’s. Hawthorn hedges were also evident around properties in Valetta street, Oroya Grove and Ballarto Road.
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Hedges were used around the boundaries of properties as fencing. After a hedge was planted efforts were generally made to inter-twine the living branches to form an impenetrable barrier to prevent livestock escaping. Regular pruning was carried out to maintain the hedge in a compact shape. |
http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/#detail_places;63222
This is delightful reading about the value of Hawthorn hedges in Clyde.
The craft of ‘thornsetting’or ‘layering’, was taught as a skill in England, which by interlacing the upper and lowerbranches, hedges were rendered cattle and sheep proof.
Clyde Landscapes
More information is welcome on any land feature in the Clyde area.
Sources
1.City of Casey Thematic Environmental History ( Post European Contact) December 2004
2. Victorian Heritage Data Bases