Fence/wall

[NewPurrs5]

I am semi detached but due to angle of houses we have neighbors garden either side.

Currently it's fenced, it's an alright job, but the back fence is falling into the forest and I think will need reinforcing. (Steep drop and seems to be solely propped up by brambles currently)

Can we take fences down and wall the garden the whole way round? Just seems like less maintence long term. Prettier too (Cotswold stone type brickwork to match house)

This is our first house so excuse my naivety!

I would check with your local planning office, but I think you need planning permission if it is higher than two metres. What would worry me is the disruption, as proper foundations would have to be dug, which would cause major problems with neighbours gardens, and also the sheer drop you mention, which may need some kind of retaining before you can build on top of it, it will also cost thousands of pounds!

Can we take fences down and wall the garden the whole way round

Depends who owns the fence.

I'm not sure a wall is less maintenance in the long run, and it will be VERY expensive (way more than you are expecting!!!) and disruptive to have it built.

I do love a walled garden tho.

We looked at a garden wall - cheapest brick, 4ft high and approx 70ft long came in at over 4k with a builder already on site and doing other work - would have been more for someone just there to do that job.

OP, as well as well as the cost, you'll probably need to get consent from all the neighbours. Most likely, you won't own all the fences in your back garden and therefore if you replace someone else's fence and there are problems later on, then who will pay for maintaining the fence? If any of them are precious about their garden, they might not want foundations for walls etc being dug.

I would have a chat with them, as well as some landscape gardeners, to get a better idea about what is feasible.

Thanks guys! Knew it'd be the right place to ask here. Alas it sounds like it might be a pipe dream.

I think others side is council owned.

Will have to think of other ways to make a pretty garden and lots of privacy! What's the highest fence we can legally have?

2 meters from the top of my head... google will know 😊

2m without planning permission - higher than that is possible, but you will need permission, and obviously the impact such a high fence will have on the neighbours will be taken into account by the planners.

Any hedge is covered by the high hedge act so you can't go higher than 2m however bamboo is a grass and therefore not subject to the high hedge act.

So if you need privacy specifically in one spot you could look into bamboo - but you need the one that doesn't grow rampant.

You'll be shocked at how much a brick wall costs (even my banker brother, not known for keeping his cash in his wallet, decided he couldn't afford the one he wanted!).
What a shame, because I agree, they're beautiful and really "make" a garden.

Good 2 metre fencing panels with trellis fitted on your side, and grow climbers up them. Honeysuckle, roses, pyracantha, etc. It would look a picture in a few years, and a darn sight cheaper than a wall, and would give you a cottagey feel with added privacy.

I have fence plus trek love plus roses and it makes the garden extremely private and beautiful.

Thank you! Climbers sound beautiful and a pretty compromise!

Maybe I'll get my walled garden when I win the lottery