KENDAL farmer Peter Gibson was judged best hedger on the field at the tenth annual Yorkshire Dales National Park Hedge Laying Competition.

Lockbank Farm at the bottom of the Howgills in Sedbergh hosted the event which is organised by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) in partnership with the Lancashire and Westmorland Hedge Laying Association,

Fifteen entrants across four classes took part and Adrian Shepherd, YDNPA Head of Land Management, said the event was a great success, with the hedge laying being of a high standard.

"Hedge laying is an important skill to retain and nurture, particularly in the west of the park, where there are far more hedges than dry stone walls," said Mr Shepherd.

Ann Kendal, secretary of the Lancashire and Westmorland Hedge Laying Association, said: "It was really pleasing to see a good turnout of younger members. lthough it was a competition, everybody helped each other out.

"At the start of the day, the hedges were high and had gaps in, but by the end they’d been reduced to about three-and-a-half feet high and were stock-proof.

“There’s a lot of interest in hedge laying and people are often making inquiries and wanting to learn.”

The hedges in Westmorland tend to be a mixture of thorn, hazel, ash and sycamore. An important measure of success of hedge-laying is regrowth – and so the hedges which were laid in last year’s competition, at Settlebeck School, were revisited in the summer to see whose stint had done the best.

RESULTS:

Regrowth from last years competition:

1. Heather Swift

2. Andrew Kirkwood

3. John Handley

4. Peter Gibson

5.John Gibson

Junior class:

1. James Yates-Bell

2. James Dodgson

Novice Class:

1. Aidan Handley

2. Danny Hodgson

3. James Haigh

Open Class:

1. John Handley

2. William Bell

3. Steven Boyes

4. John Gibson

Championship Class:

1. Peter Gibson

2. Heather Swift

3. Andrew Kirkwood

4. Damon Peacock

Junior best nicking prize: John Handley (winner of Samurai Saw)

Veteran competitors:

1. Heather Swift

2. John Gibson

The judges were Frank Capstick and Stephen Capstick of Hole House Farm.