The Kissing Gate (for Valentine's Day)!
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Meet me at the kissing gate…
The joys of walking! The amorous-sounding ‘kissing gate’ is one of many much loved curiosities to be found in the English countryside and it’s perfect for stealing a kiss on the Feast of Saint Valentine (14th February).
Kissing gates are often the subject of much sniggering chatter from children and those not are familiar with them. But what are they and why are they so named?
Amorous Gates
Kissing gates were traditionally built to be stock proof. They allow people to pass through on foot, but not livestock.
The gate consists of a small enclosure - usually semi-circular, square or V-shaped - on one side and a hinged gate that swings between two shutting posts. Kissing Gates are so called because the gate merely ‘kisses’ (touches) the enclosure either side, rather than needing to be securely latched.
Traditional designs only permit one person to pass through at a time. The person enters the enclosure and swings the gate between the posts in order to pass through and exit, as illustrated in the diagram below. The gate itself is usually self-closing, to the side away from the land where the livestock is kept. Occasionally, we find a loop of twine over the gate and post for added security. Modern designs, however, will often have latches.
Romantic Ramblings
There is, of course, a more romantic notion of kissing gates. When a person passes through they have to close the gate to the next person, thus providing an opportune moment to refuse entry until a kiss is exchanged. If a kiss is not forthcoming, a fine is to be paid!
However, in order to foster a deep connection with this much loved rural furniture, those who want to cosy up to them as they pass through must be passionate about walking in the slow lane. Walk too fast, or in large groups, and you may find a kissing gate to be a hindrance - not just slowing the passage of the rambling group by only permitting one person through at a time, but because some romantic ramblers will insist on pausing to demand a kiss!
Kissing Gate Cartoon, Steve Allender, HenleyHerald
“Stop to kiss, the kissing gate
demands, and so do we, its fines.”
These icons of passage also act like portals between two words, separated by the boundary fence or wall. The kiss becomes the key to opening the portal and briefly re-uniting them. Once through, however, the gate swings self-closing ‘CLASH’ behind us as if to say ‘no return’ and to nudge us purposeful along our way.
Improving Access
Over the years many kissing gates have fallen into disrepair. However, the drive to improve access to our footpath network (aided by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and Equality Act 2010) is leading to a resurgence of kissing gates in the rural landscape as they replace another rural curiosity, the stile. Many people find stiles difficult to cope with (and even some old kissing gate can be quite a squeeze) but with the help of organisations such as the Chiltern Society, new kissing gates are replacing stiles across the land. Modern gate designs with larger enclosures also allow safer and more convenient access for a wider range of users. The outcome is more people being able to enjoy the countryside. We even have a British Standard BS5709:2018 for them!
Chiltern Society Path Maintenance Volunteers
The Chiltern Society does a fantastic job promoting and improving access and in recent years has installed over 500 gates, including many kissing gates, along our footpaths. Many have been funded through the Chiltern Society ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme. The south Chilterns where we regularly walk has a large number of stiles and on our walks we occasionally witness first-hand the Chiltern Society volunteer footpath maintenance teams hard at work! We have even been lucky to be the first to pass through a new kissing gate!
Secretly, however, we do miss the stiles – they come in so many shapes and sizes that the style of a stile forms an intrinsic part of our local landscape character, and cautiously testing their ‘wobblyness’ can be an essential part of the joy of walking! But we also support efforts to improve access to the countryside, and we should not lose sight of the fact that replacing stiles with kissing gates increases the opportunity to steal a kiss while out walking! With this in mind, here at Pipsticks Walks we have been in touch with the Chiltern Society and hope to soon ‘donate a gate’.
A Valentine’s Day Challenge!
Whatever the source of the origin of its name, the kissing gate is, without doubt, a much loved feature and an intrinsic part of the English countryside. So here is a challenge for you all - how many kissing gates will you pass through during your daily walk this Valentine’s Day?
A Snigger of Kissing Gates
Discover More…
Chiltern Society ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme
Kissing gates can be enjoyed on our walks throughout the year, not just on Valentine’s Day! If you would like to discover more, simply get in touch – we would love to guide you in the slow lane and share with you our passion for these (and other) curiosities of the English countryside.
“Meet me at the kissing gate
I know that’s where you want to be
Meet me at that lonely place
Won’t you just do this for me”
All photographs in this article were taken by, and remain the copyright of, the author.
