English vocabulary for walking in the countryside exercise part 2

In the first part of this exercise on countryside vocabulary for walking, you learnt the names in English of the different things which people use to walk on (e.g. track, path etc...) and the names of some man-made things you will see and use when walking.

In this second part of the exercise, you will learn and remember the English names of the other places and objects that you will hear when being given directions where to walk in the countryside. This part focuses on vocabulary connected to 'farms' (the places in the countryside where crops (plants) are grown or animals are reared/breed) and the parts of them which commonly are used when people are giving directions about where to walk.

If you haven't done the first part of this exercise yet, I recommend that you do that part before doing this one (it will make doing this second part easier and quicker to do).

In both of these exercises, you will learn the names of things which are man-made (made by humans). To learn the English names of natural things you will find in the countryside, I recommend that you do the online exercises on 'Water landform names', 'Coastal landform names and the sea' or 'Mountain landform names'.

Exercise:

In the following conversation, Peter continues to give directions to his friend Juan on where he needs to go on a walking trip he is going to take in the countryside.

From the context, try to guess what the object or place the words in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

In this text, phrases used to give directions (e.g. 'go pass...', 'carry on until...' etc...) are used. If you don't know how to give directions in English well, I recommend that you do our exercise on the vocabulary used to give directions, before doing this exercise.

Peter:'So continue walking on the track until you reach a farmhouse on your left.'

Juan:'A farmhouse is the building where the people of a farm live in, isn't it? '

Peter:'That's right.'

Juan:'And the building where the animals live. What is that called?'

Peter:'Animals on a farm live in a barn. Anyway, when you reach the farmhouse, you need to leave the track. On your right, you'll see a field of the farm. Normally, the field has cows in it. Through the middle of the field is a path, you need to walk up that.'

Juan:'How I do I get into the field? Won't it have a fence made of wood around it to stop the cow from escaping?'

Peter:'The field which has the path in it doesn't have a wooden fence around it next to the track, but a hedge. A hedge does the same thing as a fence (it surrounds a field), but instead of being made of wood it's made of small trees which are very close together.'

Juan:'And what do you call a fence if it is made of rocks. Do you call it a rock fence?'

Peter:'No, you don't. When a field is surrounded by something made of rocks (which are also called stones), it is called stone wall or just a wall. '

Juan:'So, do I have to climb over the hedge to get into the field? It's not going to be easy.'

Peter:'No, you don't have to climb over it. There's a gap in the hedge that you can walk through.'

Juan:'Is there a metal or wood gate in the gap of the hedge which you have to open and close to enter or leave the field?'

Peter:'No, there isn't a gate in the gap of the hedge.'

Juan:'But won't that mean the cows can escape from the field?'

Peter:'No, because in front of the gap there is a hole which is covered by metal bars/tubes. This is called a cattle grid and it stops the cows from leaving the field because they can't walk on it.'

Juan:'Ok. So, I walk on the path through the field with the cows in it. And when I get to the end of the field?'

Peter:'At the end of the field is a stone wall. There is a stile which will help you to go over the wall, so you can continue walking on the path in the next field.'

Juan:'A stile?'

Peter:'A stile is where a wall or a fence has some steps or a small ladder on it, so people can climb over the top of it.'

Juan:'I know what one of those is.'

Click to see more geographical English exercises

Quiz:

Below is a photo/picture of each of the words in bold from the above text. Now choose the word from the question's selection box which you believe matches the photo/picture. Only use one word once. Click on the "Check answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.

When the answer is correct, two icons will appear next to the question which you can press/click on. In the first icon, , you can find extra information about the word/phrase (e.g. when, where and how to use etc...). In the second, , is where you can listen to the word/phrase.

1. office exercise photo

This is called a

Fence:
(noun) This is one type of structure which is used to surround a 'field' on farms or the garden of a house. 'fences' are normally made of wood, but can also be made of metal.

Fence:

2. office exercise photo

This building is called a

Barn:
(noun) This is a building on a farm where animals live in (or where things for the farm are kept in). A barn can be next to the 'farmhouse' (where people live in) or far away from it. When walking in the countryside you may probably be given directions where you are told to go past a 'barn'. So, it useful to know what this type of building is called.

Barn:

3. office exercise photo

This is called a

Cattle grid:
(noun) Also called a 'cattle guard' in American English. This is a shallow hole on a track which is covered by metal bars or tubes. 'cattle grids' are used to stop cattle (cows and bulls) or sheep from leaving or entering a field.

With most 'cattle grids', there is normally a 'gate' on the side to allow people to enter or leave the field without having to cross the 'cattle grid'.

Cattle grid:

4. office exercise photo

This is called a

Gate:
(noun) This is a metal or wooden structure which is outside and is used to enter or leave places. When walking/trekking in the countryside, you will normally find pieces of land which are surrounded by a wall or fence. This is normally because they are used to keep animals in them which the person who owns them doesn't want to escape.

To enter or leave these type of places (which are called 'fields' on farms) and stop the animals escaping, there is a part of the wall or fence which can be opened and closed. This part is called a 'gate'.

In some fields, in addition to 'gates' there are also 'stiles' which allow people (and only people) to leave and enter. But instead of there being an opening in the wall or fence, a 'stile' is a series of steps or a small ladder which help people to go over the top of the wall or fence.

Gate:

5. office exercise photo

This building is called a

Farmhouse:
(noun) Can also be called a 'cottage' (in Britain and Ireland). This is a building on a farm where people live in. When walking in the countryside you may probably be given directions where you are told to go past a 'farmhouse'. So, it useful to know what this type of building is called.

Farmhouse:

6. office exercise photo

This is called a

Stone wall:
(noun) Is commonly called a 'wall' as well. This is one type of structure which is commonly used to surround a 'field' on farms or the garden of a house. In the countryside, 'stone walls' are made of rock (also called stones).

If the 'wall' is made of brick (the name for rectangular red object which is commonly used to build houses with), it is not called a 'stone wall', but a 'brick wall' instead.

Stone wall:

7. office exercise photo

This is called a

Stile:
(noun) This is a wooden structure which is used by people to go over the top of a wall or a fence. Often in the countryside there you will find pieces of land on farms which are surrounded by a wall, fence or hedge (these places are called 'fields') to often stop animals escaping from them.

To enter or leave these type of places, you sometimes find 'stiles'. A 'stile' is a series of steps or a small ladder (as in the photo) which help people to go over the top of the wall or fence.

In addition to 'stiles', all fields will also have a 'gate' in the wall, fence or hedge. This is a part which can opened and closed.

Stile:

8. office exercise photo

This is called a

Hedge:
(noun) This is one type of structure which is used to surround a 'field' on farms or the garden of a house. 'hedges' are normally made from plants (types of small trees or bushes).

Hedge:

9. office exercise photo

This place is called a

Field:
(noun) This is the name in English for a piece of land which is surrounded by a wall, fence or hedge. Normally you will find 'fields' on farms. The farmers make these to either keep animals in or to grow crops in.

All 'fields' have a 'gate' in the wall, fence or hedge to allow people to enter and leave them. A 'gate' is a gap in a wall, fence or hedge that surrounds the 'field' which can be opened and closed.

Field:

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Practice

Now that you understand the new vocabulary, practise it by creating your own sentences with the new words/phrases.

This is me, Chris Clayton, the owner and main writer for Blair English. I'm also a part-time English teacher in sunny Spain. I have a love of history and the web. I hope you find the website useful.