Hinges are one of the most critical but often overlooked
components of a gate. Hinges perform the
most important job of any estate gate regardless of the
sophistication or simplicity. For centuries, hinges were
simply a rounded pin inside a “barrel” that was periodically
lubricated. If the gate was very heavy, a support
plate was mounted on the ground and the hinge
side of the gate rested directly on that. This resulted
in metal grinding against metal, with the force of hundreds
of pounds. The friction was not a serious issue,
as guards, gatekeepers or footmen were hired to manually
open the gate as a carriage desired to pass through