I paid 5000 for a (small-ish) piece of land ajacent to ours 3 years ago and a geometre was involved, However, that was because the farmer was selling up completely and needed to partition the land, so paid the fees for that. The notaire’s fees (paid by us) turned out to be about 600 so heven knows how they calculated it all.
Once again, thanks to everyone, very useful views and advice and to Tim, you were right on the money at €900, as with Brian and his 100% markup. However it will only strengthen my hand I think for them to realise the extra expense far in excess of the sale price that we will be put too.
I would prefer to use a geometre because I will not necessarily be fencing exactly on the boundary. For example, on the lower half of the parcelle the land is above the level of the lane bordering it and a fence on the boundary would be quite low in relation to the immediate interior. Plus, there are some trees there which could be used as fence posts and, with the fence behind them, would also serve as protection from the Maire when he goes wild with his faucher machine. 
On the opposite, long, side of the terrain I would want to fence exactly on the limit as that borders another wooded parcelle and I would need to know who owns what.
I had a look this morning and found that the lower half, where most of the trees were felled, is heavily brambled up but higher up the hill they give way mostly to broom. Easier to clear I would have thought. One improvement Cathie did make some years ago was to get a contractor to bridge the ditch with a pipe underneath obviously with the thought in mind that one day she would get a tree feller in, which she did of course. So, I have the advantage of a firm wide access but with the cost to me of the brambles which resulted from the tree clearance. 
@JohnBoy , I take what you say about the English attitude to land, I have even found myself this morning thinking ‘oh well, I can buy it and then I own it and I can do what I want at my own pleasure’ rather than thinking ‘must get the fencers and the clearance machine in right away.’ 
However, though I could be wrong, Cathie’s husband, David, is very much the junior partner in the relationship and will recognise that he married a woman who happened to have a piece of land rather than marrying landed gentry with all that goes with it. If it did get silly though, I would simply walk away. For goodness’ sake, I only want it for the bloody dogs. 
More to the point, one of the 2 current ones, Jules, who cannot resist a scent and pulls my arm out if he finds one. The other dog, Harper Grace, who is blind, has been off lead since the day she arrived, gallops wildly in the field but has instant recall, very important if I see her heading at speed towards a tree or fence. I only have to clear my throat in a specific manner to make her turn away on the instant. 
And if I am spared, there will be others, fostered or adopted, and it would be nice to allow them free rein (literally) from the word go, rather than the normal several days assessment and training.
Thanks again to all. I will send a carefully worded email shortly and see what happens. Happily, Cathie speaks and understands English perfectly so I don’t have to worry about accidentally giving a wrong impression in French. 
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Oh the things we do for our dogs.
My young Podenco squeezes through the smallest holes to go and chase anything that moves. Am always on the lookout for enclosed areas to walk him. Recall is a work in progress.
I hope you get your land, sounds like a lovely spot.
A friend of ours has just set up a CaniParc for this very purpose.
and just be clear, I have no commercial interest in this venture
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Of course, knowing the boundaries and putting up fences are two different things. From what I’ve heard, Boundary fences must never be actually on the boundary… 
When we bought our little extra bit of land and the geometre arrived, there was no trace of the boundary markers installed during the remembrement. When contacted the farmer said he had put his fence posts directly on top of them
people move the boundary markers as well ,hence why I said have the geometre in.
When we bought our place in 2007 the bottom of the garden was brambles surrounding a derelict cottage. Beyond the brambles was our then neighbouring farmer’s field, which he planted each year.
After a couple of years we bought a chunk of his field alongside which meant we got in the geometre. It was fascinating to watch as the geometre’s assistant put in the boundary markers for the land we already owned below the cottage which we were restoring. The assistant was a good two tractor widths of crop into the field before he found the edge of our land!
OH did suggest that perhaps we could claim the crop that he was farming on our land. Our neighbour just smiled - no shame! 
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man after my own heart 
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To update my OP, after one week from receiving my offer, our friend had not responded, so I emailed again asking if she had changed her mind or if she thought the offer was too low. In which case we would welcome her opinion on the price and we would see if we could afford it. Another week further on and still, nothing. It is so frustrating, we need to get on, with the onset of Spring, wild animals are more active and that is sending my dog into a frenzy. Even the blind one, who was solid on instant recall before, is getting led astray by all the new overnight scents on the ground.
I can’t understand why she won’t communicate, it isn’t hard to simply say yes, no or not enough and this is the figure I have in mind. Accordingly I have written to the owner of the next parcelle, slightly larger, he is from here but lives in Paris, to see if he is willing to sell.
The Stihl brushcutter/strimmer is being serviced after years of non use, and I am raring to go. If I can’t get more land adjoining, there is plenty of brush between the trees in my own garden that can be cleared, so if there is nothing else for it I will do that and let the dogs run a little freer here.
I think you said she’s French? Enough said!
It took us 6 years from a neighbour agreeing to sell to us actually signing for it at the notaire. Patience might be in order - perhaps not as much needed I hope tho! Only a few weeks back she had no idea about selling, so now needs to think about it, discuss it with children, her best friend, etc etc. Selling land in rural France is selling your and your children’s patrimoine…not to be rushed in to.
Yes, well it could come back to bite her, if the bloke next door answers positively, or otherwise and I decide to shelve the whole idea. I am very attached to both dogs but they are only fosters after all and I have never had this problem with the dozen or so who have lived here previously, not a chasse gene between them. 
Oh you have my sympathy David, we have a rescue - Petit Bassett Griffon Vendeen mix (the other bit is probably terrier). So, hunt/terrier mix. Oh LORD! As we took him from the rescue place and walked towards the car I could see his eyes were on the far horizon. And that’s where they’ve been ever since. Deer, rabbits, hares, rats, cats, you name them, he can see them when the rest of us are saying “there’s nothing there!” He’s an adorable dog and very obedient when there is no prey in sight. We quickly learnt that he could not be walked off the lead and that we needed to fence him in. Two hours driving round the countryside trying to find him gets very tedious!
Yes Sue, Jules, the Dobermann/Beauceronne X is the worst, he once disappeared into the forest and only stopped after 2 kms because his trailing lunge rein got caught round a tree. Took me 2 hours to retrieve him after following the sound of his distinctive bark/howl. There is definitely chasse in his genes as both Dobies and Beaucies are garders not hunters.
I think I’ll have to go back to my first loves, Greyhounds, keen to kill yes, but they are sighthounds not scenthounds and will only chase what they can see.
Or one of the wide variety of Spaniels, gentle retrievers not killers. A Breton I had gently plucked a new born robin from a nest and brought it to me. I replaced it totally unharmed and he didn’t do it again. My Setter, Tosca, stood quite still looking into a thicket, pointing out a newborn deer carefully hidden by its mother while she went to feed and genetically programmed to stay stock still and not to run.
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Ours is a shepherd…and has the most incredible nose for anything he considers edible. He will chase if he catches sight of something running, but his downfall is a stinky carcass. He will vanish, and of course is then hidden somewhere in the undergrowth chewing his prize. Which can take a long time!
He is fed when the BBC 6pm news comes on, so I can be seen standing in the forest holding up my mobile playing the chimes of Big Ben. If he’ s near enough it works, but his nose can operate at long distance if wind is right.
We can’t keep him on a lead as he needs the mental and physical exercise, and don’t want to weigh him down with a hunting dog’ collar (which he would probably loose along with our 400€). So we are stuck with his nose. Round here we have lynx, so lots of deer’s legs for him to find.
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Behind a paywall so don’t know what is unique about it? …presumably British owners. We have a dog club with an agility course here.
Whereabouts roughly is that Jane? I was looking for one for our previous foster, Enola, who was extremely athletic and would have been perfect for such a thing. She has been adopted now though.
We!re a long way away! But there is very likely to be a club canin near you. Best ones are usually affiliated to the Société Centrale Canine. Goggle is your friend here…
We still take ours to “school” most weeks as he loves it. He gets to meet loads of different dogs and play, which is so good for his sociability. Since he’s a shepherd he likes to work, so doing the class is good for him even though he can do everything (and has the certificate above his bed to prove it…). If there is one near you give it a try for any of your dogs as might be an activity you like doing as well as the dog (I can’t do agility, all too fast for me, so another member takes him).