Ha-ha
Type of recessed barrier
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Interest in “Ha-ha” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-24.
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⚡ Key Takeaways
- A ha-ha (French: hâ-hâ [a a] or saut de loup [so də lu] lit.
- The name comes from viewers' surprise when seeing the construction.
- Ha-has are used in landscape design to prevent access to a garden by, for example, grazing livestock, without obstructing views.
- Etymology The name ha-ha is of French origin, and was first used in print in Dezallier d'Argenville's 1709 book The Theory and Practice of Gardening , in which he explains that the name derives from the exclamation of surprise that viewers would make on recognising the optical illusion.
A ha-ha (French: hâ-hâ [a a] or saut de loup [so də lu] lit. 'wolf jump'), also known as a sunk fence, blind fence, ditch and fence, deer wall, or foss, is a recessed landscape design element that creates a vertical barrier (particularly on one side) while preserving an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond from the other side. The name comes from viewers' surprise when seeing the construction.
The design can include a turfed incline that slopes downward to a sharply vertical face (typically a masonry retaining wall). Ha-has are used in landscape design to prevent access to a garden by, for example, grazing livestock, without obstructing views. In security design, the element is used to deter vehicular access to a site while minimising visual obstruction.
Etymology
The name ha-ha is of French origin, and was first used in print in Dezallier d'Argenville's 1709 book The Theory and Practice of Gardening, in which he explains that the name derives from the exclamation of surprise that viewers would make on recognising the optical illusion.
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