When walking across the countryside, you've likely stumbled across a kissing gate. While we all seem to know they're called, have you ever wondered about the meaning behind the name?
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What is a kissing gate?
A kissing gate is a single gate that pivots on a semi-circle between two posts, allowing humans to wriggle through but not livestock. Since at least the 16th century, kissing gates have been a solution to the ancient problem of gates being left open in the countryside. An open gate means escaped livestock.
What's the meaning behind a kissing gate?
The gate could be said to ‘kiss’ the posts at each end of its swing. Or the name could be a corruption of a northern name ‘kisting gate’, a place where coffins were set down so the bearers could rest.
More romantically, the nature of the gate means that as one person goes through, they tend to turn and hold it for the next person, bringing them face to face. An old kissing game based on going through the gates meant that the first person going through the gate could 'demand' a kiss before letting the other person through. Today, few new kissing gates are installed; they are awkward for those with mobility issues and impossible to negotiate in a wheelchair.
Main image: kissing gate on the Anglesey coast path/Getty
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