What Constitutes a Boundary?

A boundary is usually a means of physically defining an area of land or, more specifically, an enclosure.

All boundaries were originally established for one (or more) of a number of reasons:

• to demarcate property
• to contain livestock for husbandry
• to exclude livestock from enclosures containing arable crops
• to provide shelter which improves the climate of the field surrounded by the boundary which in turn encourages the growth of crops, and is healthier for stock

to provide drainage, as many have ditches on either one or both of their sides

• to act as a boundary between cropping units
• to act as parish or township boundaries
• to act as a boundary alongside a right of way; and/or
• to act as status symbols (either as physical barriers or to convey status).

Boundaries are also often highly symbolic.