Chestnut fencing

[Doug71]

Guess this counts as general woodworking?

Thinking of using something like this in part of my garden, will be about a 20m run.

Anyone got any experience or advice on using it or where to buy it?

https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/fencing/agricultural-fencing/cleft-chestnut-fencing
Thanks, Doug

 

[joshvegas]

Yep, I have it round my back garden, I love it (and so do the wasps, you can hear them all summer tearing away at it). Advice? nah wack some posts in, wap some cross pieces on then staple the fencing dunno what they did in the picture but for it to last its better with proper supports.

Its exremely resistant but it's not impervious so you need to make sure the bottoms are kept clear.

Its perfect for passiflora and clematis, and other climbers to wind themselves on.

 

[mikej460]

It's actually called paling and you can find it here Handmade wooden fencing in Yorkshire | Woodland Craft Fencing | Yorkshire Hurdles

 

[mikej460]

We've got chestnut diamond trellis fencing around our veg plot and I made a pergola from cleft chestnut which turned out rather well. We buy all our chestnut from Say It With Wood Chestnut Paling - Say it with Wood

 

[Adam W.]

Sweet chestnut is the most durable native timber in the British Isles.

 

[mikej460]

Yes and the wasps do love it, the offcuts burn well.

 

[Stevekane]

Didnt they use it as cheap fenceing round areas being seeded and the like?,,they use the orange plastic stuff now,,I suppose its now viewed as being a “craft” type of thing there must have been factories knocking out miles of the stuff and I recall seeing big rolls of it laying about sites.
When you said split chestnut I was thinking of the type where there are 6ft long rails cleaved at the ends to sit loosely in tennons,,,whats that type called?
Steve

 

[Keith Cocker]

Didnt they use it as cheap fenceing round areas being seeded and the like?,,they use the orange plastic stuff now,,I suppose its now viewed as being a “craft” type of thing there must have been factories knocking out miles of the stuff and I recall seeing big rolls of it laying about sites.
When you said split chestnut I was thinking of the type where there are 6ft long rails cleaved at the ends to sit loosely in tennons,,,whats that type called?
Steve

Hurdles?

 

[mikej460]

Ò

Didnt they use it as cheap fenceing round areas being seeded and the like?,,they use the orange plastic stuff now,,I suppose its now viewed as being a “craft” type of thing there must have been factories knocking out miles of the stuff and I recall seeing big rolls of it laying about sites.
When you said split chestnut I was thinking of the type where there are 6ft long rails cleaved at the ends to sit loosely in tennons,,,whats that type called?
Steve

Yes it was used as cheap fencing years ago, our local council used it quite a lot.

 

[Adam W.]

Didnt they use it as cheap fenceing round areas being seeded and the like?,,they use the orange plastic stuff now,,I suppose its now viewed as being a “craft” type of thing there must have been factories knocking out miles of the stuff and I recall seeing big rolls of it laying about sites.
When you said split chestnut I was thinking of the type where there are 6ft long rails cleaved at the ends to sit loosely in tennons,,,whats that type called?
Steve

My bold.

It's called chestnut post and rail fencing.

 

[Stevekane]

My bold.

It's called chestnut post and rail fencing.

Yes that rings a bell, post and rail, at the moment were well surrounded with hedging but Ive often thought that set fairly low the post and rail type would look really nice.

Hurdles?

Hurdles,,,maybe different areas have different names for things, I call hurdles those woven panels, kind of thing they tie together to pen a couple of sheep?

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Here are some of the things you can do with sweet chestnut:
http://www.hampshirechestnut.co.uk/products.htmlalso the traditional cleft post and rail:

Most of it grows in the southern counties (Kent, Sussex, Hants) where it is coppiced (cut and come again) - so a good supplier is likely to be one based in that area.

The labour input to making these items is significant, which pushes up their prices - but they last a long time. The timber has as much tannin as oak, much less sapwood proportionately, and is generally very straightgrained, so can be easily 'riven' which helps to make it even more durable in service - hence Adam's comment above about durabililty. It quickly weathers down to a very nice silver grey.

Sweet chestnut is the best (and most eco-friendly) material for fencing imho

 

[mikej460]

I've accumulated a load of brash wood (mostly small ash branches which have been heaped into bonfire piles in the field. My plan is to create a 'dead hedge' using these branches, held together using chestnut stakes. I have to go to Herefordshire in May so will buy a load of chestnut tree stakes (cleft branches). Much better then tanilised wood stakes)

 

[Doug71]

Didnt they use it as cheap fenceing round areas being seeded and the like?

The reason I'm considering it is because I want something cheapish that looks okay.

There is a roadway to a small cul-de-sac next to my garden and the existing fence has been pretty much wrecked by delivery vans hitting it when attempting 3 (or 5 or 7) point turns, there often isn't enough room for them to turn really but the only other option is to reverse out blindly onto a main road.

I would like to put a decent fence up but it will only get damaged so I figured just bang some posts in and tack some of the rolls of Chestnut to it.

 

[mikej460]

The reason I'm considering it is because I want something cheapish that looks okay.

There is a roadway to a small cul-de-sac next to my garden and the existing fence has been pretty much wrecked by delivery vans hitting it when attempting 3 (or 5 or 7) point turns, there often isn't enough room for them to turn really but the only other option is to reverse out blindly onto a main road.

I would like to put a decent fence up but it will only get damaged so I figured just bang some posts in and tack some of the rolls of Chestnut to it.

That would look nice and something I'm planning to do to keep my sheep away from my tractor as they like ripping the wires out

 

[Stevekane]

The reason I'm considering it is because I want something cheapish that looks okay.

There is a roadway to a small cul-de-sac next to my garden and the existing fence has been pretty much wrecked by delivery vans hitting it when attempting 3 (or 5 or 7) point turns, there often isn't enough room for them to turn really but the only other option is to reverse out blindly onto a main road.

I would like to put a decent fence up but it will only get damaged so I figured just bang some posts in and tack some of the rolls of Chestnut to it.

Sounds perfect for the job. i imagine its reasonably tough too,,I suppose the only thing to think of is if a van caught it, being all “wired together” would it perhaps pull out a big section? but I can see the attractiveness of it. There are ebay sellers of it too,,not sure how the postage affects the price though compared with buying local.
Steve.