Gateposts for heavy iron gates

[88v8]

Another thought is that if the gates had wedge-shaped metal rests in the centre and in their open positions, then they would not normally be hanging on the pillars at all. So perhaps the notion that they would be slowly sinking towards each other from years of steady pressure can be discounted.

I think the sinking is more a feature of wooden posts shrinking/rotting.

With metal or brick posts, assuming adequate foundations, the cause is more likely a failure to oil the hinges, or to provide a means of taking up the initial wear as they bed in.

Ivor

 

[Penners]

herds of bison in the garden

Sounds like my kind of party.

You're such a tart!

 

[CliffordPope]

We've just had a builder round to advise and give a quote. We have used him before, he specialises in traditional buildings, stone and brick, and have found him reasonable and trustworthy.

He advises that the pillars need to be 3-bricks square to provide the stability, with two foundations of concrete 600 mm cube, linked by a trench, all filled in one go.
Interestingly, he advises against using a single steel post, for risk of rust cracking the brickwork, but favours perhaps 6 or 8 vertical steels as used for reinforced concrete, hammered into the ground below the foundations as far as possible, and then the hollow inside the bricks filled with concrete, creating a reinforced concrete post inside the brickwork.