Gates

What it is

We build and fit three kinds of gate. Field or five-bar gates for driveways, paddock entrances and rural boundaries. Garden gates, usually matching a picket or close-board run. Side-return gates between house and fence for side access to back gardens.

All three have the same underlying problem. They swing, they get loaded by wind, they get slammed by hand, and they’re hung off one end. Anything sloppy about the hanging post or the hinge will show up within a month in the way the gate catches or drops.

When each is the right call

• Five-bar field gate. Driveways, paddock entrances, field gateways. Softwood or oak, hung wide enough for a tractor or a 4x4 plus trailer.
• Garden gate. Pedestrian access to a front or back garden. Matches the fence style, whether picket, close-board or panel. Drop latch, Suffolk latch or sliding bolt.
• Side-return gate. Between the house and a side fence, usually to give access to the back garden past the bin store. Often wheelie-bin width, close-board style, with a key-operated lock or bolt.
• Built on site. Timber gate made to fit an awkward opening, curved top, or matching an existing historic pattern.

How we build and hang them

• Hanging post is the most important post on the run. properly treated timber, usually 125mm square for a garden gate and 150mm or more for a five-bar. Concreted in deeper than a standard run post, with postcrete around it.
• Galvanised hinges, sized to the gate. Band-and-gudgeon hinges on a field gate, strap hinges on a garden or side gate. Hinge loads are higher than people expect; undersized hinges droop within a year.
• Self-close hinges where the brief calls for it. Side-return gates or pool gates often need to close and latch on their own. We fit proper self-close hinges, not springs bodged onto standard hardware.
• Latch and closing detail. Suffolk latch, drop latch, automatic catch, or a keyed lock where the gate gives access to the back garden. The right latch for the job, not a universal part.
• Room to swing and drop. We check ground clearance for winter freeze and for leaf build-up. A gate fitted tight to a gravel path will jam the first time it rains heavily.

What it costs

Priced per gate after a site visit. Size, timber choice, hinges, latch type and whether you need a full hanging post set on both sides all move the number. A five-bar field gate on new hanging posts is a different job to rehanging an existing garden gate that’s dropped. We put a written quote in front of you within two working days.

What we won’t do

We won’t hang a heavy timber gate off an undersized or rotten post to save you replacing it. The gate will drop within a month and either bind or rip the post out. If the post has gone, we’ll say so and quote to replace it properly.