BN13: Top wiring - stone wall

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the top wiring - stone wall item.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
2 April 2015
Last updated
6 November 2023 — See all updates
Grant type:
Capital item
Land use:
Boundaries, Uplands, Water quality, Woodland
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier, Mid Tier, Standalone capital items
Funding (per unit per year):
Up to £100

How much will be paid

£5.54 per metre (m). The payment rate is for the total length of boundary under the option (not for each side of the boundary).

Where to use this item

It is available for Countryside Stewardship:

  • Mid Tier
  • Higher Tier
  • Capital Grants
  • Woodland tree health (restoration)
  • Can only be used when the applicant has “management control” of both sides of the boundary.

but only:

How it benefits the environment

There will be a rebuilt stone wall with top-wiring which will help to control livestock and conserve traditional landscapes.

Requirements

You must:

  • use round timber posts with a top diameter of 75 millimetres (mm)
  • set the posts at centres no wider than 3m (for mild steel wire) or 10m (for high-tensile wire)
  • use posts long enough so that the top wire can be fixed at no more than 300mm above the top of the wall
  • use timber that is fully peeled and tanalised or treated with an appropriate preservative
  • knock the posts into the ground and either set them leaning against the wall or set them alternately on opposite sides of the wall
  • secure the posts
  • staple either half height sheep netting or 2 lines of steel wire 200mm apart to the upright posts
  • use 4mm diameter mild steel or 3.15mm diameter high tensile steel line wire
  • make sure the wire is properly strained and fastened with galvanised staples

Keeping records

You must keep the following records and supply them with your payment claim:

  • photographs of the completed work

You must keep the following records and supply them on request:

  • any consents or permissions connected with the work
  • receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • photographs of the lengths of wall you plan to be top-wired before work starts

Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier, Capital Grants or Woodland tree health guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.

You can use this supplement on the same length as the following items and supplements:

Further information

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier, Capital Grants and Woodland Tree Health including how to apply.

Updates to this page

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 6 November 2023 + show all updates

  1. Removal of text confirming BN13 Top wiring - stone wall availability under Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot), as the SFI Capital offer is no longer available.

  2. 'Where to use this item' section updated to include detail on SFI pilot Farm woodland standard.

  3. Updated Where to use this item and how much will be paid.

  4. Page updated to show latest record keeping requirements

  5. Capital item now includes woodland

  6. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  7. First published.

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