Gates & Fence Posts.

Gates and Fence Posts.

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We now come to the original gates and fence posts, used in the fencing of Widbrook Common. Except for the number eight gauge steel wire, and the small Pawl and Ratchet wire tightener's used in the building of the fences, everything was produced locally in Harding's builders yard. You will notice that smooth steel wire was used and not barbed wire. Barbed wire was not introduced until it was decided to use railway ties as fence posts.

The four five barred gates we're chained and padlocked and keys were held by George Allen the Hayward, except for two duplicate keys. One key, was held by my father, so that we could have vehicle access to Widbrook Cottage. The second key was in the possession of Sheephouse Farm, so they could move cattle on and off the common for milking.

The two kissing gates of which there is a photo example was to allow free pedestrian access to the footpath and to Widbrook Cottage. Quite a few summer visitors often thought that the kissing gate to the cottage was the footpath access to the river, which it was not, as there were no footpath right of way across White Place Farm. Quite often, we had to redirect walkers to the Islet Road in Maidenhead Court, as the closest route to the Thames.