‘Crawiau’ Welsh Slate Fencing

Next time you wander through North Wales, keep an eye out for ragged, slate-tooth fences often hidden in heather or lining old paths.

‘Crawiau’ is a Welsh term referring to traditional Welsh slate fences, which were common field boundaries in North Wales, particularly in the slate quarrying regions like Eryri (Snowdonia).

These fences are made from rough cut slate slabs, often using waste material from quarries and placed upright in the ground usually side by side or with small gaps and often bound together with twisted wire to hold them in place.

‘Crawiau’ are not just practical boundaries but part of Wales’s industrial heritage. They reflect the resourcefulness of communities who reused quarry waste to shape their environment.

Welsh slate fencing is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, particularly as a feature element in garden design. Reviving Crawiau fencing isn’t just a stylistic choice, it’s a way of celebrating Welsh heritage and craftsmanship reconnecting modern outdoor spaces with the landscape traditions of rural Wales.

Welsh Slate Fencing ‘Crawiau’ Traditional Bounderies of North Wales