Gates are hinged barriers closing an opening in a wall, fence or hedge, and in the antiques and architectural salvage trade they range from grand wrought-iron entrance gates and garden gates to cast-iron railings, wooden field gates and church lychgates. They combine practical security with an important role in announcing an entrance.
The art of ornamental gates flourished in England from the late seventeenth century, when the French smith Jean Tijou produced magnificent wrought-iron screens and gates at Hampton Court, inspiring a generation of English smiths. Eighteenth-century country houses and churches were given elaborate gates with scrolls, leaf work, monograms and overthrows, and the Davies brothers of Wrexham made celebrated examples in Wales. In the Victorian period cast iron allowed ornate gates to be produced in quantity, while the Arts and Crafts movement revived hand-forged ironwork with simpler, more organic designs. Oak and other timber gates remained the norm for farms and cottage gardens. When buying antique gates, check that the measurements suit the opening, that the frame is square and that corrosion has not weakened the joints. Wrought iron can be repaired by a skilled blacksmith, giving old gates a long new life.
