The path has a width

The hedge wants to meet in the middle. The cut stops when the barrow still goes through without catching the handles. That mark is a nick in the gatepost, not a guess.
A diary of one hedge: when it was cut, and how much the path narrowed.

The hedge wants to meet in the middle. The cut stops when the barrow still goes through without catching the handles. That mark is a nick in the gatepost, not a guess.