Entrance Gate with Wood and Horses (BM55)

BM55 was designed for a horse farm. Its massive forged frame is filled with larch boards laid tongue and groove, and over the warm timber gallop black forged horses among scrolls and hunting motifs.

The same decorative pattern is applied to both sides, so riders see it whether they are coming or going.

For stud farms and country homes

Although it was made for a stud farm, the gate works just as well as the entrance to a country house or the home of a horse lover. In the photos it sits beneath a timber gatehouse roof, which shows how naturally wood and iron work together.

More gates with animals

If you are drawn to gates that tell a story, take a look at our sculpted gates with animals and hunting scenes, where deer, wolves and birds are forged in three dimensions.

Seven hundred kilograms of steel and larch

To get the best possible effect, BM55 was made from suitably heavy sections, and the finished gate weighs about 700 kg (more than 1,500 lb). Most of that weight is the forged frame and ornament. The larch infill, laid tongue and groove so the boards can swell and shrink with the seasons without opening gaps, adds warmth rather than bulk. Both faces carry the same pattern, so the inside of the property gets as much attention as the road.

We design and build gates with any ornament and any degree of complexity. The horses could just as well be stags, hounds, a family monogram or a quiet pattern of scrolls; the construction underneath stays the same.

From drawing to finished gate

A gate like BM55 starts with a drawing of the whole entrance; here the height of the leaves and the line of the top rail had to suit the timber gatehouse roof above them. The frame is then welded from heavy sections and the decoration forged separately: the horses are shaped and given their hammered texture by hand, while the scrolls and hunting motifs around them are bent hot and joined to the frame one by one.

Only when all the steelwork was hot-dip galvanized and painted did the larch go in. We fit the boards into the frame in a way that lets a single board be taken out and replaced years later without disturbing the ironwork. Because the wood is fitted last, it never comes into contact with the heat of forging or the zinc bath, and it keeps its natural colour and resin.

Hinges and posts for a heavy leaf

A leaf of this weight hangs on adjustable heavy-duty hinges with bearings, mounted on steel posts set deep in reinforced foundations. That is what lets a gate of 700 kg open with a light push or a modest motor and stay perfectly aligned for decades. If the gate is to stand between masonry piers, we embed steel plates or a hidden post inside the brickwork to take the load, so the masonry carries only its own weight.

Why combine timber with wrought iron

A gate made only of wood is warm but vulnerable, and one made only of steel is strong but can feel cold next to a timber house. Putting the two together gives an entrance with the character of wood and the backbone of a forged gate. The steel frame carries the load and keeps the leaves true, the boards give privacy and shelter from wind and dust, and the forged decoration gives the whole thing a face.

This kind of gate suits log and timber-framed houses, residences in the mountains or in forests, stud farms, farm-stay guesthouses, hunting lodges and country inns: anywhere the architecture is built around natural materials.

Wood as a gate material today

Steel and aluminium dominate the market, yet wooden entrance gates have never gone out of fashion. Wood is renewable and biodegradable, it ages gracefully, and unlike PVC or sheet metal it can be renewed after many years: sanded back, re-stained, even partly replaced board by board. It can also be shaped to suit the house by staining, wire brushing, routing or carving, so no two wooden gates need look alike. For many owners, the texture and smell of real timber are what make an entrance feel like home.

Swing or sliding

Most wooden gates on family plots are swing gates. A single leaf often serves as a pedestrian or service entrance, while a double gate is symmetrical, elegant and well suited to a wide driveway. Swing gates are simple to install and need no track in the ground.

Where the drive between the gate and the garage is short, a sliding gate is the better choice: it runs along the fence on a ground track or as a cantilever, without taking any space from the driveway. A heavy design like BM55 can be built either way, provided the frame and the running gear are sized for its real weight.

Solid boarding, open boarding or both

A fully boarded gate, like BM55, gives complete privacy and shields the yard from wind and dust, which matters at a stable yard beside a busy road. Spaced boards make a lighter gate that lets air and some light through, a good fit for decorative or recreational fences. Between the two sit designs with a solid lower half and forged openwork above, or with narrow vision panels set into the timber.

In terms of style, the range runs from rustic gates with forged country ornament to minimalist modern ones that pair timber with steel or glass.

Choosing the timber

The species is the decision that most affects how long the gate will last and how it will look as it weathers.

• larch: durable, naturally resinous and resistant to damp, which is why we chose it for BM55,
• oak: hard and strong, valued for its noble grain and deep colour,
• pine: easy to work, but it needs thorough impregnation,
• spruce: pale and light, though less resistant outdoors,
• teak or meranti: very weather-resistant tropical woods that are harder to machine,
• glued laminated timber: more dimensionally stable, with less risk of warping or splitting.

Whatever the species, we select boards with straight grain and few knots for the visible faces, because the forged ornament is laid directly over them and every flaw would show.

Looking after wood and steel

Timber exposed to the weather needs proper protection. Pressure impregnation gives deep defence against moisture, mould and insects, and a stain-varnish, oil or paint then shields the surface from UV light and rain. Depending on the species and on how much sun and rain the gate gets, the coating should be refreshed every two to five years, with any small damage filled as soon as it appears.

The forged parts need protection against corrosion. Our gates are hot-dip galvanized and then painted, a combination that holds for many years. If a stone chip or a scratch ever reaches the metal, it is enough to clean the spot, apply a primer suited to zinc and touch up the paint. It is also worth checking the hinges, locks and any opener once a year, because their condition affects how safely the gate works.

Automating a heavy timber gate

Any wooden gate can be fitted with automation: electromechanical or hydraulic arms for swing gates, track or cantilever drives for sliding ones, and control by remote, keypad, smartphone app or a smart-home system. Photocells, safety edges and an electric lock complete the set-up.

Wood is no obstacle for a modern drive, as long as the gate is built on a solid steel frame that spreads the load evenly. With 700 kg per gate, as here, we size the hinges, the posts and the motor for the real weight from the start, and we keep the electronics sealed against moisture, which matters more next to a natural material that holds water. The result is a gate that opens quietly at the touch of a button and still looks like a piece of country craftsmanship.

How it compares with other gates

Compared with an all-wooden gate, a timber gate with forged ornament is stronger, more secure and more rigid, and the metalwork adds a sense of occasion that boards alone cannot give. Compared with a fully wrought iron gate, the wooden infill brings warmth, blends better with greenery and with rustic or classical architecture, and offers more privacy.

Set against modern solid gates in aluminium or steel, it is more decorative and more traditional, a choice for places where a distinctive look matters more than minimalism. Hand-forged ornament and durable materials take more workshop time than an off-the-shelf gate, and that is precisely what makes the result memorable.

Metal or timber: making the choice

A metal gate shrugs off knocks and changing weather with very little maintenance, especially when it is galvanized and painted, and its design can be anything from strictly modern to classically forged. A timber gate is less resistant to damp and sunlight, yet it offers a warmer, more natural look that suits traditional houses, log homes, villas and country properties, and many owners find its upkeep well worth the effort.

The choice should follow the style of the building, the local climate, the lifespan you expect and how much care you are happy to give the gate. A hybrid like BM55, with timber set into a forged steel frame, combines the strengths of both.

Made to measure for your property

For the most demanding clients we design wooden gates entirely to order. You can choose the grain and the colour, add arches, cut-outs and carved details, extend the design to a wicket and fence spans, and fit unusual hardware such as forged strap hinges and period handles.

A horse farm or a country home far from Poland is just as natural a setting as a Polish stud: a gate like BM55 would look at home on a ranch in Kentucky or a farmhouse in Ontario. We prepare the drawings, forge the ornament, fit the timber and ship the finished gate ready to hang.

• family homes and country houses,
• manors and residences,
• holiday plots and large gardens,
• forest and mountain properties,
• stud farms, farm stays and rural guesthouses.

With the right care, timber lasts for decades and develops a patina no other material can imitate. Set into a forged frame and paired with hand-made ornament, it gives an entrance that truly belongs to its landscape.