Fence, hedge and garden advice
Guides
Practical advice on fences, hedges, decking, lawns and garden care in Somerset, from a family business near Axbridge. Each guide answers its question first, then gives the detail, the rules with links to the official sources, and what to do next. Useful whether or not you ever ring us.
Written by Mudgley Gardening & Fencing and updated in place when the answer changes.
Which guide do you need?
The year-round questions come first: what affects the cost of a new fence, how high a fence can be and who owns it, what drives the cost of hedge trimming or a garden clearance, and when decking needs planning permission. Winter jobs holds the seasonal ones. Pick a topic to narrow the list.
Start hereWhat affects the cost of a new fence in Somerset?
What drives the price of a new garden or field fence in Somerset: length, height, fence type, ground, access, the old fence, gates, and comparing quotes.
Read the guide6 minute read
How high can a fence be, and who owns the boundary?
The 2 m fence rule, the 1 m limit next to a road, listed buildings, conservation areas and who owns the fence between two houses, from official sources.
Read the guide7 minute read
What affects the cost of hedge trimming?
Why hedge trimming costs what it does: height, length, width, species, overgrowth, access and clippings, plus how to compare quotes fairly in Somerset.
Read the guide5 minute read
When can you cut hedges in Somerset?
When you can legally cut a hedge in Somerset: the 1 March to 31 August farm hedgerow ban, nest law, and why late autumn and winter suit most hedges.
Read the guide6 minute read
Do you need planning permission for decking?
Most garden decking needs no planning permission if it is no higher than 30cm and covers no more than half the garden. The rules for Somerset homes.
Read the guide6 minute read
What affects the cost of a garden clearance?
What drives the cost of clearing an overgrown garden in Somerset: size, growth, access, the cuttings and aftercare, and how to compare quotes fairly.
Read the guide6 minute read
Which post and rail fence suits your field, paddock or smallholding?
Post and rail and half-round rail fencing for Somerset fields and paddocks: rail count, stock wire, field gates, and when it beats closeboard.
Read the guide6 minute read
What fence works on wet clay or an exposed site in Somerset?
Choosing a fence for wet Levels clay or a windy Mendip or coastal site in Somerset: post and rail, closeboard, gaps for wind and posts in soft ground.
Read the guide6 minute read
How do you get a fence through a Somerset winter of gales?
What fails first when a Somerset gale hits a fence, the checks to do before winter, and how closeboard, panels and post and rail cope in wind.
Read the guide6 minute read
When should you give your lawn its last mow of the year in Somerset?
When to give the last cut in Somerset, how high to set the mower, what to do with leaves, and why to keep off frosted or waterlogged lawns this winter.
Read the guide5 minute read
How do you stop decking going slippery and green in winter?
Stop timber decking going green and slippery this winter: clear leaves, open the board gaps, keep air moving underneath and clean it before the frost.
Read the guide5 minute read
Is winter a good time to clear an overgrown garden?
Why winter suits clearing an overgrown garden in Somerset, what to leave for wildlife, where the cuttings can go, and what to ask a contractor first.
Read the guide5 minute read
Storm-damaged fence: does it need repairing or replacing?
After a winter gale in Somerset, how to tell if a fence can be fixed or needs replacing, what to do safely in the meantime, and who pays.
Read the guide6 minute read
Rather ask us about your own job?
Ring or send a WhatsApp, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm. For hedges, lawns and garden work a photo is often enough for a first quote; fencing and decking we come and look at, then the quote is emailed or given on the day.