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Fence

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A fence is a structure that encloses an area, usually outdoors.

Westtown
Westtown

It creates a boundary to show where one space ends and another begins. Most fences are built using posts that hold up other materials. These materials can be boards, wire, rails, or even netting.

Chain link fence surrounding a field in Jurong, Singapore
Chain link fence surrounding a field in Jurong, Singapore

It is important to know that a fence is different from a wall. A wall has a solid foundation that runs along its whole length. A fence does not have this type of solid base.

DFRFence
DFRFence

Fences do many important jobs.

Barbed Wire, SC, Victoria, 15.9.2007
Barbed Wire, SC, Victoria, 15.9.2007

Farmers use agricultural fencing to keep livestock in or to keep predators out. Some fences are for safety, like a blast fence. A blast fence redirects high energy exhaust from a jet engine. There are also sound barriers to reduce noise pollution.

EldoraAvenueConstruction
EldoraAvenueConstruction

Other fences help with crowd control or provide privacy for a home. Some are even made of living plants, like a cactus fence in Cuba. Even tiny animals need help, so people use newt fencing to stop reptiles from moving.

Acanthocereus tetragonus fence1
Acanthocereus tetragonus fence1

People have used fences for a very long time.

Zagroda z Rożnowic (Rozenberg, 1858)
Zagroda z Rożnowic (Rozenberg, 1858)

In England, land was once shared in common fields. By the sixteenth century, large farmers began to enclose these fields to grow more food. This changed how land was used and led to modern laws.

Bolivar Heights Battlefield, fence on Bakerton Road
Bolivar Heights Battlefield, fence on Bakerton Road

In the United States, early settlers used fences to claim land. Later, the government used programs like the Homestead Act to help people own land. In the American West, fences were built to separate public land from private land.

Concretefence
Concretefence

There are many ways to build a fence using different materials.

Split rail fencing
Split rail fencing

A split-rail fence uses timber and is common in areas with many trees. In Wales, people often make slate fencing using vertical slabs of stone.

Talyllyn fencing - 2008-03-18
Talyllyn fencing - 2008-03-18

You might see a vaccary fence in the north of the UK. This type uses thin slabs of stone to hold cattle. Other fences use woven wire, like a chain-link fence. Some even use recycled wood and plastic to make composite fencing. Even a hedge can act as a fence if it is made of intertwined shrubs.

Fences are part of our daily lives and laws.

Railroad tracks through East Germany in 1977
Railroad tracks through East Germany in 1977

In many places, laws decide how high or what material a fence can be. Some places must have fences by law for safety. For example, transformer stations often use barbed-wire fences.

SchoolFence
SchoolFence

Schools and zoos also use fences for security. In the United Kingdom, railways must have fences to keep people and animals out. If you trespass on a railway, you could face a fine of up to £1000. Fences help keep our world organized and safe.

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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:Westtown.jpg
Westtown.jpg
File:Railroad tracks through East Germany in 1977.jpg
Railroad tracks through East Germany in 1977.jpg
File:Barbed Wire, SC, Victoria, 15.9.2007.jpg
Barbed Wire, SC, Victoria, 15.9.2007.jpg
File:Sioux Mems Pro2.jpg
Sioux Mems Pro2.jpg
File:Split rail fencing.jpg
Split rail fencing.jpg
File:Chain link fence surrounding a field in Jurong, Singapore.jpg
Chain link fence surrounding a field in...
File:EldoraAvenueConstruction.JPG
EldoraAvenueConstruction.JPG
File:Vacchary Fence in the snow - geograph.org.uk - 752248.jpg
Vacchary Fence in the snow -...
File:Acanthocereus tetragonus fence1.JPG
Acanthocereus tetragonus fence1.JPG
File:SchoolFence.jpg
SchoolFence.jpg
File:Talyllyn fencing - 2008-03-18.jpg
Talyllyn fencing - 2008-03-18.jpg
File:DFRFence.jpg
DFRFence.jpg

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