Volunteers Complete Hedge Cutting at Dukes Meadows
Annual task finished in just two sessions
The newly cut hedge. Picture: Dukes Meadows Trust
September 9, 2025
Volunteers from Dukes Meadows Trust have completed the annual cutting of the long hedge along Riverside Drive in fewer sessions than usual this year.
The hedge, planted by the Trust in 2008, was designed to screen the park from the road and parking bays, absorb pollution, and create a habitat for wildlife. According to the Trust, the hedge has matured into a dense barrier that requires significant maintenance each year. Cutting is delayed until late August or September to avoid disturbing nesting birds.
Trust chair Paul Davis said that while the task normally requires three to four volunteer sessions, this year it was finished in just two. He noted that training in the use of powered hedge cutters, introduced a few years ago, has helped speed up the process.
Dukes Meadows Trust is responsible for managing and maintaining a number of features in the park, including the Splash Pool, planted beds, and hedgerows. The group also raises funds for improvements, such as the restoration of Promenade Approach, and relies on income from the Sunday Market and artists’ studios in the renovated Pavilion.
The Trust does not receive revenue funding from the council and relies on volunteer support for its work. Regular volunteer sessions are held on Fridays at 11am.
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