Gatemaking has always been a specialist craft, needing much skill shaping and jointing the many parts that go into the finished product. Years ago, the wheelwright, waggon maker or local carpenter would have been given the work to make or repair the wonderful gates seen at most drive entrances. Gate styles often followed local traditions in design and today those styles can still be seen in both wood and metal.
The gate in the heading picture above, which can be enlarged for a closer view, is an all metal gate, cleverley crafted, depicting farm tools. The makers name is embossed on the sythe blade and note the well crafted flail. The photograph was taken around 1905-1908.
The favoured wood for most gates was oak, softwood being a poor second. Timber treatment a hundred and more years ago was unsightly and would ruin the appearance of such well crafted workmanship. Modern pressure treatments allow today's gatemakers to use softwood timbers, which is a blessing in disguise, making gates more affordable, compared to oak and other hardwoods.
Many specialist designed gates required handmade furniture, shaped hinges, mortice latches etc, which gave work to the local blacksmith and of course, the timber would have been bought from the local estate sawmill, an arrangement which went on for many generations.
Some fine and interesting gate pillars and posts can still be seen around the country,
especially stone posts, quarried locally, in and around Wales. Many Welsh field entrances still retain the old stone posts, some still used for their purpose and others have cheap, metal gates propped up against them and tied up with baler twine, a shame, because, for a little extra expense, even the simple timber five bar gate would add so much more character to the countryside. If all the baler twine rotted in the countryside, half of the farm gates would fall over. See gate hanging history
Some fine examples of traditional gates can be seen at cheltenhamfencing-gates.co.uk/gates from the past
©rescuingthepast.co.uk 2006-2010
The gate in the heading picture above, which can be enlarged for a closer view, is an all metal gate, cleverley crafted, depicting farm tools. The makers name is embossed on the sythe blade and note the well crafted flail. The photograph was taken around 1905-1908.
The favoured wood for most gates was oak, softwood being a poor second. Timber treatment a hundred and more years ago was unsightly and would ruin the appearance of such well crafted workmanship. Modern pressure treatments allow today's gatemakers to use softwood timbers, which is a blessing in disguise, making gates more affordable, compared to oak and other hardwoods.
Many specialist designed gates required handmade furniture, shaped hinges, mortice latches etc, which gave work to the local blacksmith and of course, the timber would have been bought from the local estate sawmill, an arrangement which went on for many generations.
Some fine and interesting gate pillars and posts can still be seen around the country,
especially stone posts, quarried locally, in and around Wales. Many Welsh field entrances still retain the old stone posts, some still used for their purpose and others have cheap, metal gates propped up against them and tied up with baler twine, a shame, because, for a little extra expense, even the simple timber five bar gate would add so much more character to the countryside. If all the baler twine rotted in the countryside, half of the farm gates would fall over. See gate hanging history
Some fine examples of traditional gates can be seen at cheltenhamfencing-gates.co.uk/gates from the past
©rescuingthepast.co.uk 2006-2010
Gatemaking
preserving rural bygones
rescuingthepast.co.uk
Gatemaking
