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Wicker, wattle, woven or hurdle — people arrive here searching all four, and they all mean the same object: a fence panel made of thin wooden rods woven horizontally between uprights, by hand, from wood that was grown to be cut. If you have been trying to find “those woven wooden fence panels” and getting nowhere, this is the page.
All the names, and which one to use
The confusion is genuine and it is nobody’s fault — this product predates the vocabulary of the modern fencing trade by several centuries.
| Name | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Hurdle | The trade term, and what we call them. Originally a movable panel for penning sheep |
| Wattle | The old craft name for the weave itself — as in wattle and daub, where the woven panel was the wall’s skeleton |
| Woven | Plain description. What most people search when they do not know the trade word |
| Wicker | Strictly a basketry term, but widely used for these panels because the technique is the same |
Use whichever you like. Ask for hurdle fencing and any fencing merchant will know exactly what you mean.
How woven panels differ from every other fence panel
Nearly all fence panels are made of sawn timber fixed in the same plane — overlapping, butted or spaced. Woven panels are made of whole rods bent around uprights. That one difference drives everything else.
| Woven hurdle | Lap panel | Close board | Slatted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In wind | Filters it through the weave | Catches it like a sail | Catches it like a sail | Partly filters |
| Weight | One person can carry it | Awkward but manageable | Heavy, two people | Moderate |
| Follows a slope | Yes, ties to the post face | No, drops into slots | Yes, board by board | No |
| Look as it ages | Silvers or warms, keeps character | Goes grey and tired | Weathers evenly | Depends on finish |
| Lifespan | Five to ten years | Broadly comparable | Longer | Longer |
| Treated with | Nothing at all | Preservative dip | Pressure treated | Usually treated |
Read that honestly: close board and slatted fencing will outlast a woven panel. They are sawn, treated timber and they are built for endurance rather than character. If maximum years per pound is the only thing you care about, buy those.
What woven panels give you instead is everything in the other rows. They handle wind better, they weigh a fraction as much, they follow ground that isn’t flat, they contain no preservative chemistry, and they look like something rather than like fencing.
The wind point is not marketing. Solid fencing turns a gust into a load that has to go somewhere, and it goes into the post at ground level — which is why whole runs of lap panels come down in a storm while the hedge beside them is fine. A woven panel bleeds pressure through the gaps. It is the reason growers and market gardeners used hurdles as windbreaks long before anyone chose one for the look of it.
What they are made of
Two materials, both coppiced. Coppicing means the tree is cut back to the stool on a rotation and grows again from the same root — the woodland is managed rather than felled, and the cycle actively supports woodland wildlife. Nothing is treated, and at the end of its life a panel simply composts.
Willow
Deep red-brown, russet through to oxblood. Slim rods, woven close and even, giving a fine and fairly refined surface. The tight weave screens a little better at any given height.
Hazel
Soft silver-grey shot through with olive and honey. Thicker rods, a looser and more rustic weave with visible gaps. Noticeably the sturdier panel of the two.
They are the same money, near enough — within about £2 a panel at every height, with which one is cheaper swapping around as the heights go up. Our full comparison has the figures and the reasoning.
Sizes and prices
Six heights, every panel 6ft wide, so a run works out in neat six-foot steps.
| Panel | Willow | Hazel | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1ft × 6ft | £28.99 | £27.49 | Bed and path edging |
| 2ft × 6ft | £29.79 | £31.76 | Dividing planting areas |
| 3ft × 6ft | £30.30 | £32.25 | Low boundary you see over |
| 4ft × 6ft | £36.65 | £38.37 | Patio and seating screens |
| 5ft × 6ft | £46.41 | £45.90 | Privacy without enclosure |
| 6ft × 6ft | £54.16 | £53.92 | Full-height boundary |
Delivery is £14.99 flat across the UK mainland however many you order.
Fixing them
Woven panels are tied to the outside face of a round post rather than dropped into a slot, which is exactly why a run can follow a curve or a slope. You need one post per 6ft plus one to finish the run, and four stainless cable ties per upright — eight to a panel.
The whole method, with the reasoning behind each step, is on our hurdle fencing page and photographed in the fitting guide.
Common questions
Are woven fence panels and hurdles the same thing?
Yes. Hurdle is the trade name, woven is the description. Wattle is the old craft word and wicker is borrowed from basketry. One product, four names.
Are they strong enough for a real fence?
At 5ft or 6ft on properly set posts, yes — and better than solid panels where wind is the problem. They are not a security barrier. They mark and screen a boundary rather than defending one.
Can I get woven panels in sizes other than 6ft wide?
Ours are all 6ft wide, which is the traditional hurdle width and what the weave is built around. Heights run 1ft to 6ft. For an awkward gap, hurdles are far more forgiving than rigid panels — they can be overlapped or, at a push, carefully trimmed at one end.
Do woven panels rot at the bottom?
Only if you let them sit in wet soil. Leave an inch or two of clearance underneath and the problem largely disappears. It is the single most useful thing you can do for the life of a panel, and it costs nothing.
Do they need painting or staining?
No. They are untreated by design, and most fence stains sit on the surface and trap moisture in the weave, which does more harm than good. Let them weather — that is when they start to look their best.
Where to go next
If you know your material, go straight to hazel or willow. If you are screening something specific, our garden screening guide works backwards from the problem instead. And if you would rather just describe the job to someone, get in touch — we will tell you what you need, including if the answer is fewer panels than you thought.