Fences : General Guidance
General Guidance | Key Design Principles | Design List | Evaluation Summary
Fences are an accepted and essential part of the farming landscape, especially in the lowlands, having all but replaced hedges as the principal means of enclosing and controlling livestock. In the context of access management in the countryside, fences can impact upon visitors in forming a barrier running either across or alongside access routes. In the former case, public access may be impeded or prevented if inadequate provision is made for users to get over or through the fence. In the latter case, fences can have an adverse effect upon visitors' perception and enjoyment of an area by detracting from a sense of freedom and openness. In general terms, fencing at countryside recreation sites and alongside public paths can serve one or more function by acting as:
- a physical barrier to control livestock or exclude wildlife (e.g. deer, rabbits or hares);
- a physical barrier to separate public access areas from other types of land use;
- a visual boundary to guide and influence the pattern of public use.
In many cases, it will be necessary to balance these differing interests. A fence must effectively fulfil any agricultural functions required by a farmer or land manager but should also be designed and constructed so as to minimise any adverse physical or visual impact on visitors.
The principle types of fencing that are appropriate for these situations, and which are covered by the Guide, are:
- post and wire/wire mesh fences with a top plain wire or top rail;
- timber post and rail fences (with between three and five rails);
- low level timber single rail barrier fences.
Most of the designs presented in the Information Sheets conform to fairly standard specifications since it is recognised that there will be significant regional variations and preferences in terms of materials and construction details. In practice, the quality of a fence will depend upon the materials used and the expertise of the personnel responsible for its erection. Many types of fencing require considerable skill and experience and it is usually best to employ the services of a specialist fencing contractor. Timber fences are generally more attractive and robust than post and wire fences. They are also easier to erect and repair, particularly for less experienced personnel. Labour and materials costs will, however, generally be higher than for post and wire fences. The erection of post and wire fences is cheaper, but requires a higher level of expertise. This type of fence can appear intimidating and is more likely to give visitors the impression that they are being fenced in, rather than the livestock fenced out. Using fences to create a narrow unappealing access corridor should be avoided. Replacing the top wire with a timber rail or leaving a wide border between the fence(s) and the access route, which could be used, for example, for landscaping or tree and shrub planting can improve the appearance considerably.
This Guide covers three main types of post and wire fence:
- Post and Plain Wire: This type of fence is normally erected using 12 gauge high tensile wire: 10 gauge wire is also suitable but is likely to be a little more expensive. Alternatively, mild steel wire can also be used: this is easier to repair than high tensile wire should the wire become broken, but it suffers from the disadvantage that it tends to become slack with age.
- Post and Stock Netting: Stock netting is commonly referred to as pig netting/pig mesh or by the trade name 'Rylock'. The standard specification is C8/80/15 which is fabricated from medium gauge mild steel wire and is usually available with a green or silver finish; the former is said to be more resistant to weathering and rusting. An alternative specification (B8/80/15) uses heavy gauge mild steel wire but this is unlikely to be necessary in most situations; it is also about twice the price. Pig netting fabricated from high tensile wire is also available but this is used less commonly than the mild steel versions.
- Post and Rabbit Netting: This type of netting (sometimes simply referred to as 'wire netting') is available in many different specifications according to overall height, mesh size and gauge of wire. The most commonly used specification to protect areas against rabbits is 1050/31/19, referring to the above three measurements (in millimetres) respectively.
In all cases, wire should be galvanised to the appropriate British Standard.
Barbed wire should preferably not be used on fences adjacent to areas used by the public. If a land manager insists on its use, for example where cattle or horses are present, it should be fixed to the side of the fence away from the public. In such cases, an alternative solution may be to erect a single or double strand of barbed wire (sometimes referred to as 'scare wire') a few metres back into the farmer's field, thereby obviating the need for barbed wire on the fence adjacent to the public.
In circumstances where there is farmland on one side of a fence and public access on the other side, the rails or wires are normally located on the side 'against' the livestock. In practice, it makes little difference and will often be determined by who owns or pays for the fence and which way round looks better.
Where there is no requirement to control livestock, the use of fencing should preferably be avoided. If public access needs to be managed, to ensure public safety for example, then fencing should form an effective and permanent barrier to both adults and children - and possibly also to dogs.
If a fence is to provide a visual boundary to guide the public or delineate an access area, then a more modest design, such as a low level single rail fence, will usually be adequate.
The following design principles are intended to provide an overview of the key issues to be considered when designing a fence.