Sturdy, elegant and tasteful. Our prestige entrance gates will add security and an understated charm to any property.

All our bespoke gates are hand made in our Devon workshop from best quality seasoned air dried Oak.

This was a commission to make replica gates as part of the restoration of a unique and beautiful Devon garden designed by the architect, Thomas Henry Lyon in 1909 for Arthur Graham Smith, 1871- 1928.

The original carriage gates, along with the rest of the garden at Great Ambrook had fallen into a state of neglect and we gathered the surviving fragments of wood, which were surprisingly well preserved, from the surrounding undergrowth and pieced the gates together, like a giant jigsaw, to determine the original design.

Using the highest quality, 15 years seasoned locally grown English Oak we hand made the replica gates. We were able to restore and re-use the original iron strap hinges, and a new latch and bottom hinges were made by local young blacksmiths Finn & Rowan Holmes.

We also made a pair of smaller entrance gates in the same design.

This project was a great opportunity for Tom, who was doing his heritage skills apprenticeship, to learn, from the surviving sections, the joinery techniques used 100 years ago and to make faithful replicas of the original gates using the same techniques and attention to detail as the original craftsmen.

Guided tours of the wonderful garden at Great Ambrook are available:  www.theitaliangarden.org