TUYNHEG
In the Middle Ages, not everyone was allowed to plant hedges. That is why small farmers made fences by means of a construction of posts, stuck planks in wickerwork of twigs. They called that a tuyn tuen or tuun The word tuin comes from it. Such a dead hedge, took up little space and could be easily moved. The disadvantage was that a lot of wood was needed, also for annual repairs
Old craft
Tuynen (gardens, tuunen, tunen) is an almost lost craft. Fortunately, a few elderly hedge weavers were able to pass on their knowledge to the members of the Vogelwerkgroep Bemelen. Thanks to this expertise, old tools such as klamatsch and picker could also be remade. If you look closely, you will see vertical sticks of (pruning) wood on both sides of the existing hedge. These are connected horizontally with 'binders' (long thicker sticks). All of this is pulled together. Together with the existing hedge, this becomes a barrier that no sheep or chicken can get through. Braided hedges, hedgerows and wooded banks are very important for the quality of the landscape and nature. The Tuynheggen are therefore real cultural heritage.
Birds such as willow warbler, yellowhammer and wren use the hedge to shelter and build nests in.
Native plants, including bittersweet, also grow there.
The classic Tuynheg here was created in 2002. The maintenance, gardens or tuunge is on the programme of the Bemelen Bird Working Group every spring. In this way, the knowledge of the craft is preserved.
More information or help?
Bemelen Bird Working Group E-mail: ha.brouwer36@ziggo.nl