An interesting remnant of the pioneers who farmed this land 140 years ago.
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Thursday, March 31, 2016
Snake Rail Fence
I see lots of fences around here, many of them old ones, no longer serving any purpose. But it's not often that I come across a genuine old snake rail fence - that is, a cedar rail fence built without fenceposts, held up simply by the zig-zagging rails sitting on top of each other.
And while I'm at it, how's this for an old fence remnant?! Three broken off cedar rails held firmly where a tree has grown around them. There was no trace of the rest of this fence, must have been removed years ago.
I was walking with a friend on one of his favourite walks over the fields, along the fencerows, and through the woods. He had never been to the far end of the woods, so we went to investigate.
This is what we found, an old cedar rail fence that started out along the edge of the field, and extended a long distance into the woods. In places someone has added some extra high fenceposts for support.
But most of the fence was like this, just the rails zig-zagging along, resting on top of one another.
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They were quite functional, even if they don't look very substantial to my untrained eye! :-)
ReplyDeleteHello, I like the zig-zag fences. They are used in the battlefields and memmorial parks in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Great photos. Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeletewhat a great find! hadn't heard it called snake-rail but that sure describes it well.
ReplyDeleteAlways fun things to enjoy on your hikes and this was another great find.
ReplyDeleteFun fence find. I didn't know that's what these were called, and we see them often in Texas.
ReplyDeleteThey are amazing , Lovely photos , Could you just imagine the stories these old fences have if they could talk . What a fun adventure , Thanks for sharing , have a good day !
ReplyDeleteIt is fascinating to see them and wonder about the people who put them there.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful old fence...I have seen trees grow around wire fences, but never around a board or anything so substantial as this.
ReplyDeleteLove the colours in the woodland, especially the moss on the wood.
ReplyDeleteThe zig zagged fence is such a classic early history item. I remember illustrations with our Abraham Lincoln cutting wood to make such a fence. I guess I never thought about them being made from cedar trees. Great photography.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see them still standing!
ReplyDeleteHello, Neat old fence. We've seen old ones like that on our hiking experiences... Made me stop and wonder about the people who lived there at one time...
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
thats a great find , thanks for showing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting way to build a fence. And I like the photo of the tree that's grown around the old rails.
ReplyDeleteWow you found a super neat and rustic old fence. The pieces growing through the tree were fascinating.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful old fence. It was fortunate that it was made from cedar or it would have decayed long ago. It's probably northern white cedar, but with your limestone soils it might have been eastern redcedar. In any case, it's beautiful and your photos paint a lovely portrait of it.
ReplyDeleteI loved the fence you encountered; I always note them too. I learned about them in my Grade 7 Canadian history book and never forgot and never knew I would someday live where they actually still exist.
ReplyDeleteI loved the fence you encountered; I always note them too. I learned about them in my Grade 7 Canadian history book and never forgot and never knew I would someday live where they actually still exist.
ReplyDeleteThat is my favourite kind of fence and there used to be oodles of them through New Brunswick's farm landscape. I love the first photo of the tree grown around the old fence rails.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but be impressed by the consistency of your blog's quality. Every post is a testament to your dedication and passion for your craft. Your readers, myself included, are lucky to have access to such top-tier content.
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