Hazel Faggots

Sustainable erosion control

Hazel Corylus avellana is a small deciduous tree which has been coppiced for generations to produce multiple straight stems. It is hardy, moderately shade tolerant and grows best on heavy well drained soils. Hazel is found everywhere in the British Isles though a significant proportion of old coppices have been neglected and are now out of cycle.

Male and female flowers grow on the same plants but do not self pollinate. The male catkins open as the first warm days of spring arrive to form drooping bunches of bright yellow "lambs tails". The fertilised flowers develop into clusters of hazelnuts which turn brown in October. Hazelnuts are a very important source of food for the native dormouse and are indeed regularly used as the basis for population surveys.

Hazel is usually coppiced on a 7-15 year cycle and JPR Environmental are now managing a coppice at the WWT reserve Slimbridge.

Hazel has many uses, its stems split and twist easily so it can be woven to make hurdles in the same way as willow. At JPR Environmental we are using hazel as the upright stakes in the production of our willow hurdles. We are also using hazel in the form of  faggots as part of our erosion control service.

Hazel faggots are 2 m bundles of hazel, between 300 and 400 mm in diameter and tied in three places. The faggots are used in conjunction with other materials such as coir rolls in the re-establishment and repair of river banks. They are placed below the minimum water level to form a barrier. As they encourage siltation the banks begins to reform around them. Coir rolls can then be placed on top, secured and planted to form a vegetation shelf to provide a good habitat for wildlife including water voles, frogs, fish, kingfishers and dragonflies. Hazel faggots are also used to redirect river flow and therefore prevent erosion by placing and securing them on the riverbed. This also provides shelter against the river flow current for invertebrates which provide a source of food for larger species of fauna.

JPR Environmental can supply and install hazel faggots across the UK. Please contact us if you would like to discuss riverbank erosion and using hazel faggots to prevent it.