Cottagers used to have at least one boarded door which could be lifted off its hinges and set on trestles as a table for occasional meals… or slaughtering the pig
Brass and copper door handles are bacteria-resistant. The copper patina kills most known pathogens within eight hours, less if kept polished and un-lacquered
A police door ram weighs 28 pounds (12.7 kilos). Kicking or shoulder-charging a modern front door is more likely to cause injury than break the lock
Roland Hill invented the Penny Post in 1840 and inadvertently created a new market for letter boxes. Modern junk mail means most early versions are too small… and maybe e-mail will make them all obsolete
Door knockers provided a rare opportunity for embellishment, with traditional patterns recognisable across Europe, like the hand holding a sphere or the lion with a ring in its mouth
Until a century ago, blacksmiths re-cycled worn-out cartwheel rims to make cheap hinges… recognised today from the half-round cross-section and big, square holes and often seen on old farm buildings
Panelling a door reduces the amount, weight and cost of the timber, while retaining mush of the strength and rigidity. It became more popular as the need for heavy-duty security receded and the cost of timber increased
The threshold – a raised timber along the bottom of the doorway – was first used to stop grain and chaff separated from the straw (threshed) on the floor inside, from spilling outside
The oldest door in England can be found in Westminster Abbey and dates from 1050. In the classical world ceremonial doors were carved in stone and hung by pivots at the top and bottom, turning in stone sockets on the lintel and sill.
Indian rajahs had spikes put on their fortress gates so an enemy’s battle elephants would be impaled if they tried to head-butt a way through
Counter-boarding – with horizontal planks inside and vertical ones outside made a door that couldn’t be broken down with an axe-stroke. Heavy studs nailed through from the outside also helped against axe attacks
Windows – ‘wind eyes’ – were opened by sliding sideways in special channels, a practice that continued long after glazed casements replaced wooden shutters
Many old buildings still have rectangular slots in the doorway masonry, where solid baulks of timber could be put across the door for extra security
Bull’s Eye glass was originally a workshop reject, used where price was more important than quality. Glassworkers made a disc by spinning out a blob of molten glass : the bulls eye was the part left over
The word ‘door’ comes from Old English but it wasn’t spelt ‘door’ until the 16th century. Lintel is Old French in origin. So is ‘jamb’, recognisable in modern French as ‘leg’
T. hinges or strap hinges with ha' penny end. All are drilled but not countersunk for nails or screws. 
Used on cupboards and furniture. Measures 3"/80mm at widest points top and bottom when opened out flat.
H in two sizes. 8"/200mm for doors or large cupboards. 4"/100mm for cupboard doors