Stile, Rampton Woods

I’m not sure if this arrangement on a footpath at Rampton Woods qualifies as a stile – a brief internet search brings up nothing similar.  It appears at first glance to be an ordinary three-bar fence, but the bars pivot about a pin in the off-central post to allow the left hand end to be depressed and stepped over (held down for the picture by J, out of shot).  Carefully cut chevron ended blocks at other end act as counter weights and return the bars to the horizontal when released.  A small plaque commemorates Brian Roberts.  Was he the designer and builder of this ingenious (unique?) well-crafted structure?  Note, dogs beware of the descending blocks.

Photo: Stile, Rampton Woods, Cambs, May 2018

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9 Responses to Stile, Rampton Woods

  1. Anonymous says:

    Clappergate stile

  2. Billy says:

    Or should I say Clapper stile.

  3. Janet Pake says:

    Stile not exactly in the woods but it is in Rampton Park. It is behind Giant’s Hill and Ash Hill, not very far from the road. I do not recall it being there in my childhood in Rampton in 1940/50s.. The name Brian Roberts means nothing to me – I still maintain many contacts with Rampton – so it may well be that he wast he builder of the stile

    • Brian Human says:

      Hello Janet,
      Thank you for your comments.
      You’re right about its location, of course – I do tend to use ‘Rampton Woods’ as short hand for the whole area.
      The gate looks comparatively new, so wouldn’t have been there in the 1940/50s The identity of Mr Roberts remains a mystery.
      Brian

  4. Anthony says:

    To help anyone else that wants to wander to see this: Rampton Woods isn’t a place as such, it is in Rampton Park but this link will get you the exact location: https://w3w.co/village.sobs.amazed

    The stile still works but the post it mates up to has been taken down – it looked like the timber had perished. You can still play with the clapper action but the two posts in the far left of the photo above (one vertical, one at an angle) aren’t there any more. It probably makes it harder to spot what it is if you weren’t looking for it – there was an open gate to the left and a pedestrian’s kissing gate to the right so I’m sure you could walk past without even spotting it!

    I have a photo but can’t share that here it seems.

    • Brian Human says:

      Anthony,
      Thanks for giving the location details, much appreciated.
      Also for the update – I haven’t been there recently and I’m sad to hear that it’s in a state of some disrepair. I wonder who is responsible for maintaining it?
      Best wishes,
      Brian

  5. Sue Baldock says:

    We came across this style at the weekend February 2023 and this stile has been restored and we used it.

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