Cedar Gothic Picket Fence with Arch Gate — Virginia Beach | Kempsville Fence

Cedar Gothic Picket Fence with Arch Gate, Virginia Beach

Really like the way this one turned out. Cedar Gothic pickets with an arch on the gate and 6x6 Gothic posts — one of the more refined fence styles we install, and one that rarely disappoints.

What Is a Gothic Picket?

A Gothic picket has a pointed top — specifically, the top of each picket comes to a gentle point rather than the angled cut of a dogear or the blunt end of a flat-top. The profile echoes Gothic architectural detailing, which is where the name comes from.

The effect in a fence: the repeated vertical points create a strong visual rhythm, and the pointed tops give the fence a presence that flat-top or dogear designs don’t have. It’s assertive without being aggressive — clear about where the boundary is, but elegant in how it communicates that.

6x6 Gothic Posts

Standard fence posts are 4x4. For Gothic-style fencing, we use 6x6 posts — larger dimensional lumber that matches the more substantial visual weight of the Gothic picket design. The heavier posts also allow for post caps that echo the Gothic point on the fence panels.

The size difference matters structurally too. A 6x6 post carries the fence load more confidently, especially at corners and gate ends where stress concentrates.

The Arched Gate

The arch on the gate is the detail that ties the whole installation together. A flat-top gate next to Gothic fence panels would read as an afterthought. The arch continues the pointed theme of the pickets at a larger scale, making the gate feel like it belongs to the fence rather than being a different design element.

Arched gates require more fabrication time than flat-top gates — the arch is cut and shaped, not just installed as-is. That craft shows in the finished product.