New close-board fence with concrete posts and a timber gate beside a pergola, gravel path and shrubs — New fencing and braced gate running beside the pergola and shrubs

Fence panels on gravel boards leading to a braced timber gate beside brick paving and planted borders — Closer view of the fence line, gravel boards and gate above the paved area

We fitted new vertical-board fencing and a timber gate in this Wednesbury back garden. Both photos look along the finished run, which stands on concrete posts with gravel boards beneath the panels. Beside it are a red-painted pergola, a gravel path, a brick-paved area and a good deal of mature planting, so the fencing went in around a garden that was already in use.

Fencing beside existing planting

Replacing a boundary next to mature shrubs takes some care. Posts need digging in without ripping out roots or flattening the border, and old fencing has to come out in a way that leaves the plants standing. Here the shrubs, path and pergola are all still in place beside the new line, and the soil along the base of the gravel boards looks freshly turned. Narrow side gardens add another job, as every post and panel has to be carried through by hand.

The gate and what to plan for

The gate is hung from a stout post and has diagonal bracing with a bolt fitted. A gate carries far more strain than a panel, so the post it swings from needs to be solid and set deep. Before any fence job it is worth agreeing the boundary line with neighbours, checking height limits with the council, and deciding whether the old fence is to be taken away.