Traditionally, gates in stone walls were hung on monoliths of stone called stoops, of hewn granite, mica schist, slate, gritstone, rhyolite columns or any other stone which does not readily split or crumble. Metal, reinforced concrete or wooden posts are the usual modern equivalent. The construction of dry stone and mortared pillars for gate posts is described here.
Design and methods
Stoops
Normally it’s better to set the stoop or post in the ground before completing the wall head, as it’s difficult to dig right up against the wall head, and may disrupt the foundations. Check carefully the dimensions of the gate which is to be hung, together with the method of hanging, so you get the hanging and closing stoops or posts in exactly the right position. Allow about 2″ (50mm) between the stoop and the wall head, so that if the stoop gets knocked by a vehicle, it will not disrupt the wall head.
The hanging of field gates on wooden or metal posts is described in Fencing. Suppliers of gates will advise on appropriate hanging and shutting posts, which are normally set in the ground to half their length, or about equivalent to the height of the gate. Stone stoops are not often this long, and are set in the ground to about one third their length, so that a stone stoop for a 3’9″ (1.15m) high gate would need to be about 6′ (1.8m) long, set in the ground about 2′ (600mm). Posts and stoops can be set in concrete as considered necessary.
Loose rail
The simplest traditional gate is made of loose rails, set into holes or grooves in the stoop. These are easily displaced by cattle and are not effective against sheep, so their practical use today is limited. However, stoops with sets of three or four holes are quite frequent, particularly in sandstone country, as sandstone is easy to work. Usually the holes are round, but an improved method uses square holes on one stoop to take the trimmed butts of the rails, and smaller round holes on the other stoop to take the thin ends. The rails are set in position by placing the butt ends in first, and then flexing the thin ends to fit into the correct holes.
Another design has deeply curving grooves, known in North Yorkshire as ‘yat steads’ (Ogilvie, E, 1996). Sometimes the grooves were cut in opposite directions, to make it harder for cattle to nose the rails out of place.
Four or five grooves or holes are the norm, but an example at Farndale, Yorkshire (Ogilvie, E, 1996), has seven L shaped notches, remarkably cut in a limestone post, which is far less easy to work than the more common sandstone posts.
A variation on this idea is to build recesses into the wall head, between the runners. The recesses are normally around 8-12″ (200-300mm) deep on one side, and about 4-6″ (100-150mm) deep on the other. Rigid wooden rails are used, inserted first into the longer recess and then pulled back into the shorter recess. This example is from the National Trust’s Ysbyty Ifan Estate in North Wales, where there are also gateways with recesses at one side and a stoop with holes at the other.
Harrhanging
According to Evans (1957), the most primitive type of swing gate uses the ‘harrhanging’ method found in Ireland, Scotland, the Lake District, Cornwall and Brittany, and traced back as far as 5th millennium BC Mesopotamia. The gate swings not on hinges, but on what Raistrick (1966) calls a ‘creak’ or hook near the top of the post, and a socket stone (Evans’ ‘spud stone’) at the bottom. The heel of the gate post has a projecting iron stirrup and peg or spud, which swivels in the stone socket.
Generally the gate is hung against the front of the stoops, as shown, and is balanced so that if left short of the fully open position it swings shut by itself.
Rare variations on this method can be found in parts of the Lakes, where in addition to the socket stone, a runner protrudes from the wall head and has a hole drilled in it to take a pin from the gate.
Harrhanging was a method favoured by the Romans, as seen in the socket stones still remaining at forts such as Housesteads, on Hadrian’s Wall.
Wall heads
Small gates can be hung directly from wall heads, although this is not as good as hanging from a stoop. Use steel hinges with long flat shafts, which are set into mortar in the wall head as it is built. Select a large boulder, trimmed as necessary, to make the base of the head immediately above the footings. This will help protect the wall head from damage, and give a solid base for the lower hinge, which should be secured immediately above it. Alternatively, the hinges can be leaded or cemented into holes drilled in an existing wall head, provided there is a large boulder at the base.
Setting in hinges
Methods are similar for fixing hinges, posts and other fittings into stonework. In each case, the hole should be drilled deep enough to hold the hardware securely. Drill the hole as explained on page 41, and make it about a quarter inch (6mm) bigger in diameter than the item to be fixed. Enlarge the hole at its base, so that the hardened metal or cement forms a plug which cannot be pulled out through the opening. For vertical holes, flare the top of the hole slightly, to ensure that the fixative will flow in easily.
Glue
Epoxy resin glue is the easiest, quickest and most effective way to fix metal into stone, and is suitable for gate fixings and other small jobs, but may be too expensive to use for fitting posts or other items in quantity. Various makes are available from specialist building suppliers, including ‘Chemfix’, ‘Fischer’ and ‘Ramset’. The setting time depends on temperature, and you may find that particular brands are more suited to particular times of year. If you need to drill a new hole for the hinge or other fixing, you can sweep up the resulting stone dust and then sprinkle it on the top of the setting glue, to give a ‘stone’ finish.
Lead
Lead is a traditional method of setting fixtures into stone, and is very durable, but is a time-consuming process compared with using glue. Great care must be taken in handling, heating and pouring lead, and the work should only be done by suitably experienced persons. For ease of pouring, lead works best in holes which are more or less vertical. They must be fairly clean and absolutely dry, and even a trace of water causes lead to spit explosively. Scraps of lead can be used, provided they are not too encrusted with mineral deposits. Most of the impurities stay in the ladle if you pour gently, and a small amount reaching the join should not cause problems.
- Clean out the hole, using a cycle pump to blow out debris, or a piece of plasticine to which dust and rock fragments will stick.
- Position the hinge bolt or fence post securely. For the post, it’s best to wedge it in place with one or two small pieces of steel forced into the hole beside it.
- Heat an adequate amount of lead in a crucible over a fire or calor gas burner until it melts, and then pour it in using a long-handled ladle. For small amounts, you can melt the metal directly in the ladle. Pour the lead into the near side of the hole. This forces any debris in the hole up and out the far side, and so directs any spitting away from your face. Keep pouring in the lead until it fills the hole and is flush with the surface of the hole all round.
- Pound the surface of the metal flat and fully firm all around the hinge or post, using a lump hammer and a wedge with a flattened end.
Cement
Cement can be used to fix hinges or posts into rock in any situation, but is most appropriate where the hole is not vertical, or where it cannot be made clean and dry. The disadvantage of a cement fixing is that it is less secure and durable than a glue or lead fixing.
- If possible, prepare the hole in advance and leave it filled with water to soak for several days, before cementing in the hinge or post. This ensures that the cement sets properly, as if the hole is too dry when the cement is poured, the stone absorbs water from the cement and causes it to become weak and crumbly. If you cannot prepare the hole in advance, at least wet it thoroughly before cementing in the hardware.
- Secure the hinge or post in position, using small wedges as necessary.
- Mix up a thin mortar or grout of cement and water, using enough water to form a smooth creamy paste which pours readily into the hole.
- Pour in the grout, making sure that it flows into all parts of the hole, and tamp it down. If the poured grout seems too watery, stir in a little dry cement to absorb the excess moisture.
To pour cement into an angled hole, follow the same method but form a small cup of putty or plasticine around the underside of the hole to help direct the cement and to contain any overflow.
Watergates
Large water smoots are often built with gates to prevent livestock from getting through. A simple but ingenious design can be found at Stephenson Ground in the upper Lickle Valley, where there are two or three water smoots with hexagonal columns of rhyolite to prevent sheep passing through.
Other examples of this method can also occasionally be found where wooden rails, such as split oak, have been used rather than stone.
This wooden watergate is suspended on short chains from iron bolts set in the lintel stone on the downstream side of the smoot. In this example, the gate only needs to be stockproof from the downstream side, where boulders prevent it being pushed open. In times of flood, the gate will swing open to allow water and debris through.
Watergates can also be secured between wall heads or across a smoot, if holes are made at the appropriate level to take a fixed or moving pole as shown.
For one-way opening, build projecting stop-stones into the wall heads.
