DH Painter & Decorator stains and paints fences and wooden gates in Towcester, NN12, about eight miles south-west of our Northampton base. The work splits between front gates on the Victorian roads inside the conservation area and garden fences on the newer estates.
Front gates on Richmond, Queens and Pomfret Roads
The Victorian houses on Richmond Road, Queens Road, Pomfret Road and part of Brackley Road are set back from the street behind low garden walls, and many have a small timber gate in the gap. Those gates are one of the few pieces of exterior joinery that face the road on these houses, and they take knocks from bins, bikes and post deliveries as well as the weather. Most need sanding back where the finish has broken down on the top rail and the bottom edge, filling at the joints, and a fresh coat of paint or a solid stain.
These roads were brought into the Towcester Conservation Area in 2012. West Northamptonshire Council says Article 4 directions in its conservation areas can cover gates as well as doors and painting, and some Towcester properties already have one. Renewing a gate in its existing colour is normally fine; changing the colour or the style of a gate that fronts the road is the kind of thing to check with the council first. A traditional painted finish in a muted colour sits comfortably with painted brick and garden walls.
Garden fences on the newer estates
South and west of the old town is where most of Towcester’s modern housing stands, and where the town will keep growing. Gardens there are mostly enclosed with timber fencing, often with a timber side gate. New pressure-treated fencing should be left to dry before it takes a stain, so if you have just moved into a new build, a first coat the following season is often the sensible timing. On older estate fences, weathered silver-grey timber soaks up a lot of product, so we allow for two coats.
The other face of a boundary fence belongs to your neighbour, and we only treat it with their agreement. It helps to agree a colour across the boundary before we start.
Gardens down the burgage plots
Behind Watling Street the old burgage plots run back in long, narrow strips, often reached only along alleys like Whittons Lane or The Ruins. Fences and gates at the far end of these gardens can be a long carry from the road, and there may be little room to set out dust sheets and tins. Dean plans these jobs so everything comes in once in the morning and the route stays clear for neighbours sharing the alley.
Damp ground towards the Tove
The River Tove marks the eastern edge of the town, with water meadows and floodplain beyond. If your garden is on that lower, damper side, fence bottoms and gravel boards stay wet for longer, and green growth comes back faster. We clean off algae before staining, keep the finish off soil level where possible, and suggest a product suited to damp exposure. Shade from mature trees has a similar effect wherever it falls, so a garden fence shaded by mature trees, like those around Sawpits Green off Richmond Road, will behave much like one near the water.
For the full preparation process, products and the difference between stain and fence paint, see our main fence and gate staining page. Our guide to timing outdoor work explains why dry weather matters even more for bare timber. The Towcester area page covers our other work in the town.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
