Kissing gate

[Steve]

---  "Goddlefrood" <gav_fiji at ...> wrote:
>

> Goddlefrood:
> 
> Bear in mind that kissing gates were, and in some 
> places still are, a common feature of an entrance 
> into a graveyard. In my grandparents 'village there 
> was one, as indeed there were and are several around 
> the west country of England where both Godric's 
> Hollow and the Forest of Dean are located.
> 
> I'm all for reading more into the Potter books than 
> is there but in this instance I think it's just a 
> common graveyard accoutrement.
> 

bboyminn:

OK, now I understand what a Kissing Gate IS, but I 
don't understand why you would have one in a 
graveyard. Is it to keep the ghost from getting 
out ;)?

The only thing I can think of, is that rather than
mow the grass in the graveyard, they let sheep 
graze there, and need the gate to keep the sheep in.

The only problem with sheep though is Sheep Dung. Do
you really want to visit a graveyard littered in
sheep dung? 

What I pictured when I read that was a wrought iron
trellis; two tall fancy iron arches joined together
by benches on each side where young couples could sit
and kiss, somewhat hidden by the ivy covered trellis
arch. 

Since we don't graze sheep in our graveyards, and we
do drive cars into them, the wrought iron entrance 
to graveyards is pretty common. Though admittedly 
I've never seen one like I describe at the entrance
to a graveyard, I have seen 'kissing trellises' in
private gardens. 

Steve/bboyminn