If I was starting my blog now rather than way back in 2007, I probably would have gone with the blog name of "The Gatekeeper" or perhaps "The Wee Gatekeeper."
I certainly take enough photographs in front of gatehouses to earn the name--not to mention the fact I live in one! I'd probably not even know what a gatehouse was if it wasn't for this little house, but now I notice them often on my adventures and really enjoy their unique architecture. Because gatehouses were often the first thing people saw when they came to a large estate or manor house, they were often designed to be quite striking and unique. Passersby on a main road might only be able to see the gatehouse with the main house being farther in and hidden by large trees, so they were also an opportunity to show off the estate's wealth and style. Some are less fancy and more fortified looking; as if they really were a defense from would-be invaders, although our own is obviously in the more decorative style. Still, at every gatehouse there would be a gatekeeper (or two). Someone who often lived in the house and manned the gate at all hours. My recent addiction to iron-on vinyl was partly inspired by my desire to DIY "gatekeeper" on the back of a jacket in yellow to match my front door. It's sort of like my own little club jacket; the skeleton key being a perfect logo. We might not be called upon to defend the manner or open the gate to guests, but we are, in a way, modern gatekeepers.
*all pictures by me*
CONVERSATION