Cheeky neighbour or how would you handle this ???

Set up this on your side

Option 1 seeing as they didn't ask you. Presume its to be able to retrieve something like child's football that might come into field?

Better plain wire, in case they get snagged on it, hedge might be difficult to establish if they give it a chemical wash every now and then. Definitely the field cant used for access without a by your leave.

I’d be going with option 3 regardless of the gate being there or not. For the small cost it will be to put 2 strands of electric wire around the site it’s worth it rather than getting a phonecall in a year or 2 to say some of your stock have knocked a section of the post and rail fence scratching on it and are in on the lawn!

We had this. A gate put into the fence, no consultation. We had sold the site to Mary, who's parents had bought a site off my dad years ago. Mary's dad would hop through his hedge and walk the dog daily. Never a problem. Then Mary built her house and left herself a nice gate with a spring loaded hinge. Her father became ill and wasn't able to go for his walks anymore but she'd bring her kids an odd time. Never asked me, just assumed it was OK. The spring on the hinge broke and the gate wasnt being closed. Cows ended up in their garden a few times. I got pissed off, went up nailed timbers across the gateway. Put barbed wire on it and put a big printed sign about it being a farm. Never said a word to them. They haven't set foot put onto my land since.

O.P - A picture of the gate would be good for context

I see a similar setup on a neighbour's place. He doesn't seem too bothered. I said it to him (the farmer) about the gate been in bits, but he just shrugged it off.

OP, just go and talk to them. Tell them that by right, it shouldn't be there and say how you are responsible legally for fencing in your cattle. A gate that can be left open, compromises you on this.

We had the same problem on the outfarm. A site had been sold years previously before OH inherited it. About 10 years ago the people who owned the site sold it and the new people got planning and built a house. The original fence was three strands of barbed wire and they replaced it with post and rail and a 12' timber gate onto our land. We noticed it one day when herding cattle. Instead of causing any arguments OH brought the 50B up with posts, a few telephone poles as strainers and barbed wire. We fenced our side with three strands of barbed wire and he made sure to place one of the strainers where their gate was located. Problem solved and it was never mentioned after.

You're neighbours FFS.

You haven't met them yet, but you have to live next door to them for the foreseeable.

Why on earth wouldn't you open a dialogue with them about it, rather than all the passive aggressive stuff that will just more than likely get everyone off on the wrong foot and put backs up? Try as a first resort to establish a cordial relationship with them, like a reasonable grown-up.

Having a chat with them doesn't equate being a doormat, or being taken for a fool, or whatever you imagine it might look like.

They may just have no clue about farms and cattle and fences.

Equally, they may be absolute chancers or gougers, and if that turns out to be the case, then you can escalate to Defcon10 if you want.

But for the easiest possible life into the future, getting on with your neighbours is a key ingredient.

I would agree completely about keeping good relationships with neighbours and that would be exactly the reason I would put up the electric fence.

Post and Rail fences aren’t cheap. If I went to the expense of putting one up and the farmer the other side of it didn’t put up a bit of electric fence to keep his cattle back from scratching it and damaging it I’d be rightly pissed off.

One home owner joining my land who I’d be very friendly with pulled down the sheep and barb wire fence that was in place for about 15 years around his site and put up a post and rail a few years back. He had no gates or access of any kind left to my field so there were no issues. Without talking to him about it first I put down stakes and electric fence outside it to keep my stock back. He came to me one day and told me there was no need as it should be his responsibility as he was the one that took down the existing stock proof fence but thanked me for doing it.

It didn’t cost me a huge amount, it gives me piece of mind for my stock and his fence is protected so everyone is happy. I’d view any farmer that wouldn’t do the same as downright ignorant to be honest.