▁en closure "). ▁An ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁is ▁the ▁West phal ian ▁city ▁of ▁Dort mund , ▁which , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁wall , ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁large ▁land wehr ▁surrounding ▁it . ▁As ▁a ▁map ▁of ▁ 1 7 4 8 ▁port ray s , ▁Dort mund ' s ▁Stone ▁Tower ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁this ▁land wehr ▁ring . ▁ ▁The ▁only ▁g aps ▁in ▁land wehr ▁def ences ▁were ▁on ▁roads ▁entering ▁the ▁area ▁where , ▁like ▁the ▁gates ▁in ▁a ▁town ▁wall , ▁people ▁and ▁goods ▁were ▁checked ▁as ▁they ▁passed ▁through . ▁For ▁example , ▁land wehr s ▁often ▁acted ▁as ▁effective ▁custom s ▁posts , ▁usually ▁impos ing ▁a ▁road ▁to ll . ▁ ▁Trade ▁routes , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁check ▁points , ▁were ▁accompanied ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁by ▁land wehr s . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁protect ing ▁trav ellers ▁from ▁amb ush es , ▁these ▁land wehr s ▁on ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁route ▁were ▁mainly ▁used ▁to ▁channel ▁the ▁flow ▁of ▁traffic ▁and ▁effectively ▁prevent ▁people ▁by pass ing ▁or ▁avoid ing ▁check ▁points ▁and ▁custom s ▁posts . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre - ▁and ▁early ▁history ▁ ▁Hed ges ▁are ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁natural ▁forms ▁of ▁boundary ▁defence ▁and ▁en closure . ▁Their ▁simplest ▁and , ▁even ▁today , ▁most ▁common ▁use ▁is ▁as ▁a ▁garden ▁h edge . ▁Even ▁in ▁pre histor ic ▁and ▁early ▁historic ▁times , ▁people ▁built ▁def ensive ▁en clos ures ▁using ▁branches ▁and ▁br