Fencewize, Quality fences and garden fencing in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire

Post and Rail fencing in Stoke Trister

George — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:40:09 +0000

This week we completed some post and rail fencing in Stoke Trister.

As the ground was very hard, we had to hand dig most of the posts to ensure they stayed straight and square. In softer ground we would of been able to use our unimog to smack them into the required depth, but if the ground is too stoney the post can drive off and twist making them look odd.

This driveway cut through the customers back garden and was in constant use from farm traffic.

We started using our post driver but the ground was too hard so most to the posts we had to dig in by hand

The finished fence line showing the driveway safely sectioned off and a picket gate for access

Glastonbury Tor

George — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:40:47 +0000

Erosion from heavy foot traffic is an issue to many beauty spots and landmarks across the UK, with Glastonbury being among them. 2 Years ago we tried to solve the erosion at the top by re-turfing an area were there was high foot traffic. While the turf took well to the ground, the area outside then got eroded by cows and people now walking around the existing area.

As we cannot get to the top of the Tor where we were working, we had to carry everything up the steep slopes.

The extent of the damage from heavy foot traffic is shown here where the top layer has completely disapeared.

The main walkway from the view point and top of the Tor. Unless we can stablise the area there will be no alternative but to concrete this whole area.

We rotorvated this area and leveled the ground, adding compost and grass seed to give the best chance of growth

Mesh in place rolled out over the prepared ground being heavily pegged down and tied together to resist the high winds.

The Finished area, seeded and roped off to give the best chance of growth. The mesh is designed to protect the root systems of the grass and disperse the weight of human traffic so the weight is spread over a bigger area.

Having a large homogeneous area of similar looking surface will also effect the psychology of crowds arriving to the area. Crowds of people will act like a fluid is most situations (Hughes, 2003), often following traces in the ground or others to reach their target, but with a large area that is now uniform, there will be no tracks so subconsciously their patterns will be broken resulting in dispersion and therefore reduced acute foot traffic over similar areas.

We at Fencewize really hope this system will work and hold on, because the option of having to concrete a large area at the top of such a landmark would reduce its natural beauty.

The Flow of Human Crowds, Roger L. Hughes,

Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 2003. 35:169–82

doi: 10.1146/annurev.fluid.35.101101.161136

Closeboard fencing in Gillingham

George — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 11:31:48 +0000

We recently completed this fence in Gillingham to show some before and after pics.

Before

This was when we had just taken down the old fence.

: After

Our new fencing with capping

Tree Guards at Newton St. Loe

George — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:53:52 +0000

This week we have been completing tree guards at Bath Spa University for the Duchy of Cornwall. These guards are for the new avenues of important native trees to be planted soon. These trees will benefit the surrounding ecology of the existing farm land by producing a wildlife corridor, linking three hedges and allowing species of invertebrate’s, birds and small mammals to transit different ecosystems. Also the native species of trees will benefit the crops in the field by producing environments for beneficial insect species like coleoptera or ground beetles, and it will be good to come back after a few years to see the difference in the landscape the new trees are going to make.

We used a template to position the posts and a lot of measuring and setting out to ensure these straight lines. It was very important to us to make them perfect as a lot of people will view them over the years. Also we had to be considerate of existing power cables that branches might grow into and gas mains. The ground was almost all rock in places which slowed us down but our unimog which we use to drive in the posts managed fine!

New avenues of tree guards ready for planting

69 completed so far, only 220 more to go!

Fencing at St Michael’s Hill, near Montacute

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:55:24 +0000

Having worked for the National Trust work for many years, their latest project required careful planning around the protection of the stone walling at the bottom of St Michael’s Hill near Montacute in Somerset.

The project involves rebuilding the stone walling surrounding St Michael’s Hill, so the fencing was installed to protect the repair work and the rebuilding of the stone walls.

Previously all the fencing was agricultural and had worn over the years. It’s a great privilege and opportunity to get involved in restoring some of the country’s great historic conservation areas.