A gate is the part of a boundary people actually touch, walk through and notice every day, so it is worth making it more than a plain rectangle of timber. As a supplier of fencing and timber supplies in Clitheroe, we stock a range of decorative garden gates, from the elegant Regency style to lattice top and picket designs, and choosing one that suits your property lifts the whole frontage. This guide runs through the decorative options and where each looks its best.
The Decorative Gate Styles Explained
The Regency gate is the dressed-up choice. Its shaped top and refined detailing suit a period or characterful property, and at 0.9 metres it works as a front garden gate that makes a statement without being grand. It is the gate to choose where you want the entrance to feel considered, particularly on the older stone-fronted homes that are so common across the Ribble Valley.
A lattice top gate brings the open, decorative diamond pattern of lattice fencing to the gate itself, pairing a solid lower section with an airy top. We stock an arched lattice top gate that combines that open top with a graceful curved profile, ideal where you want light and a soft line at an entrance. The decorative picket gate, meanwhile, is the classic cottage option, matching a picket fence run for a coherent, welcoming frontage. Each style answers a different mood, from refined to relaxed.
Matching the Gate to the Property
The best decorative gate is the one that belongs with the house and the boundary around it. A Regency gate between stone piers suits a traditional property; a picket gate fits a cottage garden; a lattice top gate complements a more decorative or modern boundary. The mistake to avoid is choosing a gate in isolation from the fence, because a gate that clashes with the run it sits in draws the eye for the wrong reason. Our article on choosing the right garden gate for your property helps match style to setting.
Hanging a Decorative Gate Properly
Decorative does not mean delicate, but it does mean the gate is on show, so a sagging or badly hung decorative gate looks worse than a plain one would. Quality hinges, a sound plumb post and the right latch keep the gate swinging true and closing cleanly. We stock the hinge sets, ring latch kits and catches to suit, and matching the fittings to the gate is what keeps a decorative entrance looking sharp for years. Our guide on how to keep your garden gate looking great covers the upkeep.
Finishing for the Front of the House
Because a front gate is so visible, the finish deserves attention. A painted decorative gate makes a crisp statement, while a stained or oiled finish shows the timber grain and weathers more gently. Whichever you choose, keeping the gate and the fence in a consistent finish ties the frontage together. You can browse the full decorative range on our decorative garden gates page and the fittings on our gate fittings page.
Decorative Gates Between Stone Piers
Many of the most characterful frontages across the valley pair a decorative timber gate with existing stone gateposts or piers, and that combination needs a little planning. The gate still needs a sound fixing point, so where the stone is the structure, the hinges are fixed to the masonry rather than a timber post, which calls for the right fixings and a careful eye on the swing clearance. A Regency or arched lattice top gate set between weathered stone piers is a classic Ribble Valley look that lifts a period property enormously, but the timber gate and the stone weather at different rates, so keeping the gate well treated stops it ageing out of step with its surroundings. Measuring the gap between the piers accurately, allowing for hinge and latch clearance, is the key first step before choosing the gate.
To check sizes and choose fittings for a decorative gate, call 01200 449930. We deliver gates and fittings across Clitheroe and the BB postcode areas, with free delivery over £150.
