Fencing
Between 1995 and 2005 12km of fencing was completed, with associated access features.
The conventional timber used for fencing is treated, (tanalised) softwood. It is the product of fairly distant plantations. To avoid (or at least reduce) the potential environmental impact of the preservatives and the transport-derived carbon footprint, locally grown holm oak was used. The holm oak grows on site and it is an invasive species. From 2003 it has been used as an alternative fencing timber. It is much harder and time will tell if it is as durable as the timber it replaces.
- Fell the invasive evergreen holm-oak from the site, where they are an introduced species so are ideally to be removed anyway
- Transport the trunks and thicker branches to the base, which is barely a kilometer away, for 'processing':
- Shape the wood into fence posts at the Fort
- Clear fencelines when they pass through scrub
- Take these 'rustic fenceposts', of local (albeit invasive) wood, back to the site, dig holes for them, and plant them there.
- Once the posts are in place, corners are strained, then netting, line wire and barbed wire are attached.
Post making
Most of the (recent) fence-posts on Portsdown Hill are made from felled holm-oak, which is then processed at the fort.
Felling holm oak
Sawing points onto the posts
In places, fencelines must be cleared
Cleared fence line, with guidance line of line wire:
-->
Hole digging
Where possible, we use the new auger, but in some less accessible places, digging must still be done by still by hand.
The equipment used varies from the auger on the Aebi, through spades and enlarged sugar-tongs (properly called 'shove-holers'), to soup-ladles.
Installing Posts
Tamping
An absolutely vital role is tamping the refilled soil as it is replaced - else the post will be at best loose, and at worst, fall over or come out.
A line of 'intermediates' (the thin ones) between 'strainers' (the fat ones, that take the strain)
Shaping notchs into strainers for struts
Box strainer construction
With the posts secure, the ends and corners are wired up
Then the Netting goes on
Netting positioned, it is attached to the end posts, and the horizontal ends twisted for security and safety.
Then it is clamped and strained, then the wire ends are crimped together.
With the netting in place, the line-wire is spun out using a spinning jenny, positioned, then tightened using monkey-strainers.
A final finished fence
March 2004 - Keeping cows in, and cars out
