Fencing for Herefordshire. A Wye Valley Buyer's Guide to Livestock and Boundary Fencing

H2: Start With What You Are Containing (or Keeping Out)

The right fence depends entirely on what is on either side of it.

Sheep need a tight, low fence line: stock netting or close-set rail fencing, since sheep will push through gaps that cattle would not attempt.

Cattle need strength more than tightness. A robust post and rail fence, or a stock fence with a top rail for visibility, generally does the job.

Horses need fencing without sharp edges or wire they can catch a leg on. Post and rail is the traditional, and safest, choice for paddocks.

Deer and wildlife pressure is a real issue in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean specifically. If you are protecting young trees, hedging or a market garden plot, you will need a taller fence line than livestock containment alone requires.

Post and Rail Fencing: The Herefordshire Default

Post and rail remains the go-to for a reason. It is quick to erect over long boundary runs, it does not restrict the view across open land the way a solid fence would, and, done properly, it lasts.

The detail that actually matters is the treatment. Untreated softwood posts will rot at the ground line within a handful of years in Herefordshire’s wetter ground. We supply our fence posts pressure treated, and our own PermaTimber® range carries a 15-year guarantee against fungal decay and wood-boring insects, which matters if you are fencing a boundary you do not want to think about again for a decade or more. Pair posts with our arris or half-round rails, milled at our Wye Valley sawmill and held in stock at all three branches, so a full boundary job does not mean waiting on a special order.

Stock Fencing and Wire

For sheep, pigs or mixed stock, a wire stock fence, stretched between posts and strainers, sometimes with a strand of barbed or plain wire along the top, is usually more cost-effective than solid fencing over long field boundaries. We stock galvanised stock fence, barbed wire and the stakes to go with it, and if you are fencing several fields at once, it is worth opening a trade account: it gets you discounted pricing plus free local delivery, which adds up quickly on a bulk order.

Gates: Do Not Underestimate This Bit

A fence line is only as good as its weakest gate. For field access, a traditional or curved-top field gate handles vehicle and livestock movement, and we can make these to bespoke measurements if your gap is not a standard width. For pedestrian access, such as a footpath crossing your land or a side gate into a paddock, a smaller pedestrian gate with the right hinges and an auto-catch keeps stock in without you having to think about it every time you walk through.

Buying Local Versus Ordering Blind

One thing that is easy to underestimate with fencing timber specifically: you want to see it before it goes up. Warped rails, knotty posts or inconsistent grading cause problems years down the line, not on day one. Our Ross-on-Wye yard, still the nearest timber merchant to Hereford and the Wye Valley, is set up for exactly that. Come and look through the stock, load a trailer, and talk through quantities with people who fence land themselves. No appointment is needed during opening hours, and if you are planning a bigger job, our team can help you calculate exactly how many posts, rails and gates a given boundary length will need.

Getting Fencing Delivered Across Herefordshire

If you cannot get to the yard, we deliver from Ross-on-Wye within around 40 miles, which covers Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Monmouth, the Forest of Dean and the wider Wye Valley. For bulk agricultural orders, or ongoing supply if you are fencing in stages across a season, our bulk order team can quote separately from the standard online checkout.

Ready to plan your fencing? Browse our livestock fencing range, post and rail fencing, or agricultural field gates, or apply for a trade account if you are ordering regularly. You are also welcome to call the Ross-on-Wye yard directly for advice before you order.