Block of the Month: Fence gate

Fence gates are pretty easy to build – you’ll need four sticks and two planks of any kind of wood. Put them in a crafting grid with the planks in the centre and the sticks on the sides, and you’ll get yourself a gate. Choose the type of wood with care, though, because it’ll determine the color of the gate you end up with – from dark oak to pink cherry or pale oak.

Once crafted, place your gate down on the ground somewhere. The use button will open and close it, but you can also control a gate with redstone power or with a wind charge. Fence gates can also be used as fuel in furnaces, and under note blocks to get a “bass” sound. Neat!

As I noted when I wrote about fences a few years ago, “fens” is a 14th-century word meaning “protection” which is also where the word “defence” originates. I would probably bet that fence gates are more or less as old as fences, but for some reason no-one has yet written a comprehensive history of fence gates, so there’s a gap in the market for all you aspiring historians.

Fences and other similar barriers are mostly used to keep animals or people contained in a specific place, which means that gates in those fences are sometimes seen as a symbol of freedom. However, in places where those gates are rarely opened, or where only certain people are allowed through, they can be a tool of oppression.

Minecraft’s sheep aren’t sentient (yet), so you don’t need to worry about oppressing them – feel free to erect as many fence gates as you need to. Just try not to leave them open by accident, or those sheep might make a dash for freedom...