section heading hidden

Why Wrought Iron Still Earns Its Place

Wrought iron has dressed British gardens for centuries, and it remains one of the few materials that looks equally at home outside a Georgian townhouse and a modern barn conversion. The appeal is partly aesthetic — those slender bars, gentle curves and spear finials have a timeless quality that timber and aluminium rarely match — but it is also practical. A well-made wrought iron gate is heavy, rigid and remarkably long-lived, and it can be repaired rather than replaced.

Strictly speaking, most gates sold today as "wrought iron" are made from mild steel, shaped by hand or machine to mimic the traditional look. True wrought iron, with its fibrous, almost silky grain, is now rare and expensive. This is not a problem. Modern mild steel, properly finished, will comfortably outlast most of us, provided you choose the right specification for your setting.

Weight: The Number That Shapes Everything

Weight is the single most important thing to understand before you buy, because it dictates your posts, hinges and the effort required to open the gate each morning. A typical pedestrian garden gate of around 1 metre wide might weigh anywhere from 15kg to 45kg depending on the thickness of the bars and the amount of decorative work. Driveway gates are a different proposition entirely, often running to 80kg or more per leaf.

As a rough guide:

• Light (under 20kg): fine for a small garden gate, but check that it does not feel flimsy when pushed.
• Medium (20–40kg): the sweet spot for most garden and side-access gates, giving a solid feel without punishing hinges.
• Heavy (40kg+): usually driveway or double gates, requiring substantial posts and, often, a hardstanding or concrete base.

Heavier is not automatically better. An overweight gate on undersized posts will sag within a season. Match the gate to the structure, not the other way round.

Finishes That Survive British Weather

Rain, frost and coastal salt air are unforgiving, so the finish matters as much as the metal. There are three sensible options.

Powder coating is the most common factory finish. The gate is blasted clean, primed and then coated with electrically charged powder that is baked on. It gives an even, tough skin in almost any colour, and black remains the classic choice. Expect ten to fifteen years before any touch-up is needed.

Galvanising involves dipping the finished gate in molten zinc, which bonds to the steel and protects it sacrificially — even if the surface is scratched, the zinc around it will corrode first. It is the best choice for coastal properties, though it leaves a dull grey finish that is usually painted over.

Traditional paint over a red oxide or zinc phosphate primer is what you would use on a hand-forged gate. It looks superb and is easy to repair, but it needs recoating every few years.

Whichever you choose, look for fully welded joints rather than spot-welded ones, and check that internal corners and the bottoms of bars have been coated too. These are the spots that rust first.

Fixings, Posts and Ground Conditions

A gate is only as good as what holds it. For garden gates, metal posts set into the ground are the standard approach: dig a hole around 600mm deep and 250mm wide, bed the post on a little hardcore, and fill with concrete that slopes slightly away from the metal so water runs off. Allow the concrete to cure for at least 48 hours before hanging the gate.

For heavier driveway gates, concrete-in posts of at least 100mm square are the minimum, and some installations benefit from a deeper footing. If your ground is clay — as much of the UK is — expect movement and plan for a wider footing.

Hinges deserve thought too. Adjustable hook-and-band hinges let you fine-tune the gate's height and swing later, which is worth every penny. A third hinge in the middle of a tall gate helps prevent twisting. On sloping ground, remember that the gate will swing downhill on its own unless you fit a suitable latch or a gate stop.

Choosing the Right Gate for the Right Space

A garden gate is usually a single leaf, around 900mm to 1 metre wide, with a low profile that lets you see through to planting beyond. Decorative scrollwork and finials suit cottage and period gardens; simpler vertical bars suit contemporary schemes.

A driveway gate is a bigger commitment. Single gates of 3 metres are possible, but most driveways are better served by a pair of leaves meeting in the middle, which halves the span each post must carry. Check that the gate clears your car mirrors when open, and consider whether you need it to open inwards or outwards — outward-opening gates eat less of your drive.

Security is a factor too, though not the whole story. Wrought iron is inherently hard to climb and hard to cut quietly, which is why it remains popular for side access and rear boundaries. Pair it with a good lock and, if the gate is taller than head height, consider solid panels lower down to obscure the view in.

Measuring, Ordering and Looking After It

Measure the gap between your existing posts at the widest point, and again at the base, then order slightly smaller than the narrowest figure to allow for hinges and seasonal movement. Always state whether your measurement includes posts.

Once installed, maintenance is modest. Check hinges and latches yearly, oil them lightly, and touch in any scratches with matching paint before rust takes hold. A quick wash down in spring removes dirt and bird droppings that trap moisture.

Looked after this way, a wrought iron gate will quietly do its job for decades — and improve the look of your boundary every single day.