Altar rail
Barrier or low rails in front of the altar of a church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The altar rail (also known as a communion rail or chancel rail) is a low barrier, sometimes ornate and usually made of stone, wood or metal in some combination, delimiting the chancel or the sanctuary and altar in a church, from the nave and other parts that contain the congregation. Often, a central gate or gap divides the line into two parts. Chancel rails are a very common, but not universal, feature of Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist churches.