Wrought Iron Gates Nottingham - Bespoke Iron Driveway & Garden Gates

James has over 17 years of experience in metal fabrication and handles every gate project personally — from the initial site visit through to fabrication and installation. We fabricate all our wrought iron gates by hand in our Nottingham workshop, properly primed before finishing and installed by the same team that built them. We are rated 5.0 stars on Google and a large proportion of our work comes through recommendation. Because we also fabricate [LINK: metal railings → /metal-railings], [LINK: handrails → /metal-handrails] and [LINK: balustrades → /steel balustrades-nottingham], we can match your gate to any other metalwork at the property in the same visit and quote.

We fabricate gates to whatever size your opening requires. For residential driveway gates, the practical limits are determined by weight, the available swing space, and the ground conditions for the posts or wall fixings. A standard pair of hinged driveway gates typically covers an opening of 3 to 4 metres. Where the slope or available space does not allow hinged gates to open fully, a single sliding gate is a practical alternative — we have fabricated single sliding gates up to 5 metres wide. We will advise on the most suitable design and opening mechanism at the site visit once we have measured the opening and assessed the ground conditions.

For a single wrought iron garden gate, vertical bars with spear tops continue to be popular and the same is for hinged iron driveway gates although these will often be arched whereas most garden side gates will be straight topped.

As standard for wrought iron gates we fit a Locinox lock — a keyed lock built into the gate frame that is robust and secure. We can also incorporate bolt arrangements that allow a padlock, or fit most other gate lock types depending on the gate design. For driveway gates the locking arrangement depends on the opening method — automated gates use an electric lock, sliding gates can be manual or motorised, and most hinged double driveway gates use a Locinox or a drop bolt and padlock combination. We will advise on the right option for your gate at the quotation stage.

Yes. We can incorporate letters, numbers, initials or bespoke design elements into the gate frame or as welded-on additions. Because every gate is fabricated by hand in our workshop, the design is entirely flexible — if you can describe or sketch what you have in mind, we can almost certainly build it. Common personalisation requests include house numbers, monograms and decorative panel work within the gate frame. Discuss your ideas at the site visit and we will advise on what is achievable within the design and budget.

Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content — typically less than 0.08%. It is malleable, relatively resistant to rust in its raw state, and can be shaped and worked in ways that higher-carbon alloys cannot. Steel has a higher carbon content — typically 0.2% to 2.1% — which gives it greater strength and hardness. For gate fabrication, the practical difference is that full wrought iron is more expensive to purchase and harder to weld, while mild steel is more cost-effective and easier to work with. Once both are properly primed and painted, they are visually identical. Most gates described as wrought iron today are made from mild steel with wrought iron decorative tops welded on — this is the standard approach in the industry and the one we recommend for most residential applications.

Steel is generally stronger than wrought iron in terms of tensile strength. The higher carbon content gives steel greater hardness and structural rigidity, which is why it is the preferred material for the structural framework of gates, balustrades and railings. Wrought iron, while less strong, is more malleable — it can be worked into more complex decorative shapes without cracking. For gate fabrication this difference is reflected in how the two materials are used: the structural frame in mild steel for strength, the decorative tops and details in wrought iron for workability and appearance.

In most cases, no. Gates up to 1 metre in height adjacent to a public highway, or up to 2 metres elsewhere on your property boundary, generally fall within permitted development rights and do not require planning permission. However, if your property is in a conservation area, is a listed building, or if a previous planning condition has removed permitted development rights, different rules apply. We will flag anything worth checking during the site visit, but always recommend confirming with Nottingham City Council or your local planning authority before installation if you are in any doubt — particularly for properties in Nottingham's conservation areas or in surrounding villages with local planning restrictions.