Wooden Driveway Gates
in Horley.

Horley's gate demand has a specific shape that reflects its recent history. The town has absorbed two of the largest residential developments in Reigate and Banstead in the last fifteen years: The Acres, a 710-home scheme to the north-east built out by Barratt Developments, David Wilson Homes, and Bovis Homes between 2010 and 2016; and Westvale Park, a 1,510-home development to the north-west built by Crest Nicholson, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, and A2Dominion. A new-build house comes with a standard builder's boundary treatment, and the upgrade to a proper hardwood gate is a common second-year project for homeowners who want the property to look finished.

The practical reality on a Horley new-build plot shapes the wooden gate specification. Driveways are typically level or close to it, which removes the hinge-geometry constraints that drive material choices in the hillier parts of the county. Plot frontages are modest, which means opening widths are manageable and double-swing configurations work on most sites. The clay-heavy Wealden geology means post foundations need to be deeper than the standard 600mm to reach a stable bearing layer, so ask the installer how deep the foundations will go on these new-build sites. Iroko is the dominant timber for these properties; oak is specified where the homeowner is matching an existing timber feature on the house.