Livestock Fencing Gloucester

Treeation undertook a 2 phase livestock fencing project at Brentlands Estate. The new fencing will be essential for keeping ponies and cows out of a beautiful mature woodland and will allow some natural regeneration to develop where presently no saplings are growing. This actually means that the woodland is in decline and is dying, as there are no baby trees to replace the older generations of trees. The saplings are favored by ponies, rabbits and deer as a tasty food source as they are succulent and easily reachable.

In preparation to the new fencing the team removed a very old scrappy fence line that had been nailed onto trees with barbwire snags flailing precariously close to grazing cattle and ponies. Some initial clearing of scrub and tree limbs was necessary to create a clear area to get the fence line erected and is often required when fencing around mature hedgerow and woodland boundaries.

Due to the difficult access, slopes and uneven terrain all strainer posts and takes had to be installed by hand making the project a challenging one! The hardest part of the fence line involved as abseiling down a steep slippery slope we nicknamed the “Devil’s Backbone “and swinging around off ropes to complete this challenging 100m stretch!

The Treeation team installed around 1.2km of livestock fencing some of which was .The fencing is constructed to a high standard that meets Forestry Commission standards satisfying eligibility for the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS).

The fencing tasks have been enjoyed by the Treeation team and what we have found particularly rewarding is the knowledge that the "controlled grazing" situation will bring huge benefits to the survival of existing woodland as well as being a useful tool for ensuring permanent open spaces are kept well managed by a herd of local ponies.