Cut the hedge back first and look. What you find is usually worse than you hoped and easier to fix than you fear.
Cut the hedge back to expose the fence, clear the base, then assess it properly.
Expect the fence to be in poor condition — a hedge keeps timber permanently damp, and that is exactly what ends a fence. The moment it is exposed is the moment to deal with it, because that access will not last.
| Step | Why |
|---|---|
| 1. Cut the hedge back | Exposes the line for the first time in years |
| 2. Clear the base | Years of litter and soil off the timber |
| 3. Assess post by post | Screwdriver test at ground level |
| 4. Establish ownership | Title plan, and a word with the neighbour |
| 5. Decide and act now | The access window is short |
| 6. Then maintain both | So it does not close over again |
That fourth option is worth genuinely considering. A mature hedge and a fence on the same line is often one boundary too many — and the fence you are about to spend money on may not be doing anything the hedge is not already doing better.
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Worth settling before cutting anything. The hedge and the fence may belong to different parties, and the hedge may sit on one side of the boundary with the fence on the other. Check the title plan for T-marks rather than relying on convention, and talk to the neighbour before exposing or replacing anything. Growth crossing onto your side may generally be cut back to the boundary, but the cuttings remain the owner's. This is general information rather than legal advice.
See what our garden fencing service covers in Hanham, or read more about the service across the areas we work in.
Usually poor. A hedge holds moisture against the timber year-round, drops litter that banks soil up the boards, and blocks airflow, so the fence ages several times faster than one in the open.
Yes. You cannot assess or work on a fence you cannot reach, and clearing the base of years of litter is part of the assessment.
Almost always. The access window lasts about two years before the hedge closes over again, and doing it later is twice the job.
Often not. It is worth deciding which is actually doing the work rather than spending on a fence the hedge has made redundant.
Concrete, because the hedge will grow back against them and timber will not survive that indefinitely.
Cut the hedge face annually, keep the base clear of litter and soil, leave an air gap where you can, and check the posts yearly.
Check the title plan for T-marks rather than assuming. The hedge and fence may not even belong to the same party.
You may generally cut growth crossing onto your side back to the boundary, but not beyond, and the cuttings remain theirs.
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