Chiddingfold is very close to the old Witley Park Estate. The estate has been largely broken up and sold off but many of the gates remain. There were originally nine gatehouses and numerous stock gates to farms, the deer park and pedestrian gates for footpaths across the estate. The estate was owned at one time by Lord Pirrie, owner of the White Star shipping line and builder of the Titanic. All of the gates on the estate have a cast iron central boss with a star in the middle and a crown and letter P above it. These gates and railings were made by the Carron Ironworks in Scotland and although essentially park or estate fencing were of the highest quality. I have repaired many of them over the years.
The thumbhole push-rod for the latch is used so that the gate can be opened by someone mounted on a horse without the need to dismount. Another gate I restored on the Witley Park Estate; this gate is in the grounds leading up to the main house from the old deer park. It did not require much work other than the latch bar had again rusted away and need to be remade.
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