The streets running down from Barnet Hill toward the High Barnet terminus are steep enough that a level fence line would leave large triangular gaps at the base of each panel. The standard approach on a slope is to step the panels — each bay set slightly lower than the last, following the ground — rather than rack a single panel diagonally, which weakens the frame. Medieval plot boundaries around Chipping Barnet also tend not to run square to the house, so a stepped EN5 fence line is usually measured and set out individually rather than ordered to a standard bay width.
Towns & neighbourhoods in EN5
Barnet Council · EN5, N20
Property: Victorian terraces, post-war semis and a band of larger Edwardian villas around Hadley Green
Garden: narrow rear gardens with mature trees and London clay underfoot
Near A1000 Great North Road / M25 J23 (South Mimms) · High Barnet (Northern line)
Commercial anchors: Barnet High Street, Stirling Way industrial estate
Barnet Council · EN5
Property: Victorian and Edwardian terraces stepping up Barnet Hill, plus larger Hadley Green villas
Garden: sloping plots — terracing is often part of the brief
Near A1000 / M25 J23 · High Barnet (Northern line terminus)
Commercial anchors: High Street, The Spires shopping centre
Barnet Council · EN4, EN5
Property: Victorian terraces near the station with newer flats toward Victoria Park
Garden: tight, deep gardens with rear alley access on many streets
Near A110 East Barnet Road / M25 J24 · New Barnet (Great Northern)
Commercial anchors: East Barnet Road, Victoria Quarter
Services across EN5
EN5 slope survey
We measure the fall of the ground before proposing a stepped or level fence line anywhere in Barnet or High Barnet.
Frequently asked — EN5
Why step a fence instead of angling the panel?
Racking a panel diagonally to follow a slope weakens the frame; stepping keeps each panel square and level while the fence line as a whole follows the slope.
Does stepping change how much timber is needed?
Slightly — each step needs its own post at the height change, so post counts on a stepped run are usually a little higher than on a flat run of the same length.
Are EN5 plots often non-standard widths?
Yes, particularly around the old Chipping Barnet plot lines, so we measure and set out each stepped run rather than assuming a standard bay width.