John Seymour in the complete book of Self-Sufficiency, heads a chapter “Hedging and Fencing” with good reason.

Post and rail fences are popular.

Hedges came long before fences, and will be around a lot longer too. In fact the typical English hedge of whitethorn will last for centuries.

Obviously we cannot perpetuate the mistakes of bringing further alien plants into the country, but a landowner today would probably find greater value in their property if they were to hedge, and not fence their land.

There are a number of plants that can be used for hedging here, and a good well maintained hedge will lend an air of permanency to any property.

Griselinia, flax, akeake, pittosporum and manuka will all form hedges of varying degrees of efficiency and good looks.

Horsey types all love post and rail fencing for its aesthetics and superiority in preventing valuable animals from damaging themselves on wire.

It is expensive, will last – but certainly not forever, and will use up vast quantities of timber. An interesting “pro-horse” improvement Rural Living came across was an ordinary wire fence in which the owner had fed the top wire through some 15mm black plastic pipe.

It didn’t look fantastic, but then what fence does? Another curious variation upon use of black plastic pipe was its use as an outrigger for a hot wire on another equine farm.

In that case the heavier gauge – 25 or 30 mm had been used, but was quite rigid in lengths of no more than about eighteen inches. The owners had put it in “many years ago” and replacement was of course a piece of cake.

Seymour describes the invention of galvanized steel wire as the answer to the fencer’s dream. As a method of keeping animals in one paddock, or preventing them destroying a neighbour’s crops, ordinary wire fencing is hard to beat.

It is worth taking time to construct, and if you haven’t done it before, certainly worth employing an expert to cover the basics with you. But it is not only keeping animals in or out that fencing is required for.

As a way of defining a property a good, well made fence of post and rail, or indeed many other materials can look good. Stone, brick, wood or wrought iron – many materials can be made to add character and value to a property in the right hands.