Don’t Miss This: Watch a Traditional Cornish Hedge Being Built Live This Week

Live demo at Royal Cornwall Show to celebrate heritage and nature

Visitors to this week’s Royal Cornwall Show will have the rare chance to see a traditional Cornish hedge being built live on site.

The demonstration is being hosted by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership and will be carried out by Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust (CREST). It’s all part of their Farming, Food and Nature Hub at stand 286, where entry is free and everyone is welcome.

The stone hedge being built will form the start of a brand-new, permanent Cornish hedge at the Royal Cornwall Showground near Wadebridge, with the space gifted by the showground team.

Celebrating Cornwall’s rural skills

Cornish hedges are much more than just boundary markers. They shelter crops and animals from the wind, support wildlife, and help keep soils healthy. These traditional features are key to the region’s landscape and identity.

Restoring and reconnecting hedgerows, including Cornish hedges, is a major focus of the new Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy.

📷Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust (CREST) will be building a Cornish hedge at the Royal Cornwall Show

What else is happening at the hub?

The Farming, Food and Nature Hub will be running throughout the Royal Cornwall Show from 5th to 7th June, offering plenty of other hands-on activities and advice for visitors.

Highlights include:

• Free soil health testing from Symbiosis Soil Lab

• Sunflower planting with Cormac

• A sustainable food trail by Sustainable Food Cornwall

• A robotic dog display from the University of Plymouth

There will also be advice and support on a wide range of farming and nature topics.

Full list of hub exhibitors

Alongside the hedge-building demo, the hub will also feature:

Agri-Carbon Kernow AHDB, Biochar, Business Information Point (BIP), Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Council Nature Recovery, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Sustainability Awards, Cornwall National Landscapes, Farm Net Zero, Forest for Cornwall, Local Investment in Nature Cornwall, National Trust, St Ewe Free Range Eggs and Westcountry Rivers Trust.

The Forest for Cornwall team will also be in the Woodlands Area near the East Entrance, offering advice on tree planting and maintenance, plus news on upcoming workshops and events.

For a full list of trade stands visit the Royal Cornwall Show website.

Why it matters

Lord Teverson, Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership, said:
“Farming and nature have always gone together, you can’t produce food without nature’s help. There are two big messages in today’s world: food security, and the vital need for nature recovery. Both together are not just possible, but essential. Our Farming, Food and Nature Hub shows the way forward.”

Cllr Adam Paynter, Deputy Leader of Cornwall Council, added:
“Come and chat to one of our many exhibitors at the Farming, Food and Nature Hub and find out what support is on offer to our farming community so we can help nature thrive.”

🟢 The Royal Cornwall Show runs from 5th to 7th June at the Royal Cornwall Showground near Wadebridge. Visit stand 286 to catch the Cornish hedge demo and explore the full Farming, Food and Nature Hub.

📷Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust (CREST) will be building a Cornish hedge at the Royal Cornwall Show