Kissing gate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A kissing gate is a type of gate mostly used between fields which allows people to cross but prevents animals from crossing. On well trodden or popular trails in the UK, such as the Wayfarers Walk in Hampshire, stiles, a simpler type of fence crossing facility, have often been replaced by kissing gates.

The normal construction is a half round or V-shaped enclosure with a hinged gate which can be pushed around the enclosure in either direction. When the gate is parked at either end of the enclosure, there is no gap to pass through. However, the gate can be pushed open so that a human sized gap is made between the gate and the enclosure wall allowing one person to pass through. The gate itself is usually held at one side or the other by a spring or weight. In rural areas, the weight is often a heavy piece of discarded farm machinery such as a disk brake disk or a railway fishplate.

The name "kissing gate" derives from the custom and practice of the first person through the gate demanding a kiss from the following person in order to be allowed through. This is a game normally played between parents and children or adult partners and not between strangers.