Rambler gate

Last updated
A rambler gate in Gloucestershire Gate to Ash Grove Allotment - geograph.org.uk - 521945.jpg
A rambler gate in Gloucestershire

A rambler gate is a self-closing footpath barrier that is in common use in some parts of Britain. It is designed to allow pedestrians to pass but to provide an effective barrier to livestock. It resembles a squeeze stile but the gap can be expanded by pushing a pair of pivot posts apart. The pivot posts will close under their own weight but are held back by a number of short chains so that they cannot touch. In the closed position, the pivot posts and the chains prevent the passage of animals. There may be a simple latch to hold the two pivot posts together. [1]

A rambler gate is relatively easy to use and it is possible, but awkward, to get a bicycle though. Although it may be easier to negotiate than a stile, pushing the pivot posts aside does require some strength and, as they close, they can catch the unwary. The design is compact and easy to install. [1] It is important to keep the mechanism free of debris. [1]

The gates keep out livestock, horses, motorcycles and vehicles. They are also a barrier to baby buggies, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bogie</span> Chassis for wheels and suspension under railroad cars or large trucks

A bogie is a chassis or framework that carries a wheelset, attached to a vehicle—a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transport. A bogie may remain normally attached or be quickly detachable ; it may contain a suspension within it, or be solid and in turn be suspended ; it may be mounted on a swivel, as traditionally on a railway carriage or locomotive, additionally jointed and sprung, or held in place by other means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Door</span> Movable barrier that allows ingress and egress

A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a doorway or portal. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security by controlling access to the doorway (portal). Conventionally, it is a panel that fits into the doorway of a building, room, or vehicle. Doors are generally made of a material suited to the door's task. They are commonly attached by hinges, but can move by other means, such as slides or counterbalancing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Station wagon</span> Auto body-style with its roof extended rearward

A station wagon or estate car, is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door, instead of a trunk/boot lid. The body style transforms a standard three-box design into a two-box design — to include an A, B, and C-pillar, as well as a D-pillar. Station wagons can flexibly reconfigure their interior volume via fold-down rear seats to prioritize either passenger or cargo volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agricultural fencing</span> Used to keep animals in or out of an area

In agriculture, fences are used to keep animals in or out of an area. They can be made from a wide variety of materials, depending on terrain, location and animals to be confined. Most agricultural fencing averages about 4 feet (1.2 m) high, and in some places, the height and construction of fences designed to hold livestock is mandated by law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Footpath</span> Thoroughfare for pedestrians

A footpath is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide variety of places, from the centre of cities, to farmland, to mountain ridges. Urban footpaths are usually paved, may have steps, and can be called alleys, lanes, steps, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turnstile</span> Mechanism that allows users to pass one at a time

A turnstile is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce one-way human traffic. In addition, a turnstile can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, ticket, pass, or other method of payment. Modern turnstiles can incorporate biometrics, including retina scanning, fingerprints, and other individual human characteristics which can be scanned. Thus a turnstile can be used in the case of paid access, for example to access public transport, a pay toilet, or to restrict access to authorized people, for example in the lobby of an office building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stile</span> Structure providing passage across a fence

A stile is a structure or opening that provides people passage over or through a boundary via steps, ladders, or narrow gaps. Stiles are often built in rural areas along footpaths, fences, walls, or hedges that enclose animals, allowing people to move freely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drawbridge</span> Type of moveable bridge

A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word drawbridge commonly refers to all types of moveable bridges, such as bascule bridges, vertical-lift bridges and swing bridges, but this article concerns the narrower historical definition of the term where the bridge is used in a defensive structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Country Code</span> Sets of rules for walkers in the United Kingdom

The Country Code and The Countryside Code are sets of rules for visitors to rural, and especially agricultural, regions of the United Kingdom. The Country Code dates back to the 1930s and the Countryside Code replaced it in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boom barrier</span> Bar that is used to block a road or passageway

A boom barrier, also known as a boom gate, is a bar, or pole pivoted to allow the boom to block vehicular or pedestrian access through a controlled point. Typically, the tip of a boom gate rises in a vertical arc to a near vertical position. Boom gates are often counterweighted, so the pole is easily tipped. Boom gates are often paired either end to end, or offset appropriately to block traffic in both directions. Some boom gates also have a second arm which hangs 300 to 400 mm below the upper arm when lowered, to increase approach visibility, and which hangs on links, so it lies flat with the main boom as the barrier is raised. Some barriers also feature a pivot roughly half way, where as the barrier is raised, the outermost half remains horizontal, with the barrier resembling an upside-down L when raised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet door</span> A pet device

A pet door or pet flap is a small opening to allow pets to enter and exit a building on their own without needing a human to open the door. Originally simple holes, the modern form is a hinged and often spring-loaded panel or flexible flap, and some are electronically controlled. They offer a degree of protection against wind, rain, and larger-bodied intruders entering the dwelling. Similar hatches can let dogs through fences at stiles. A related concept is the pet gate, which is easy for humans to open but acts as a secure pet barrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kissing gate</span> Type of gate

A kissing gate is a gate that allows people, but not livestock, to pass through.

A gatepost is a structure used to support gates or crossbars which control entry to an area, such as a field or driveway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking in the United Kingdom</span> Aspect of outdoor activities in the UK

Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much uncultivated and unenclosed land has opened up since the enactment of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. In Scotland the ancient tradition of universal access to land was formally codified under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. In Northern Ireland, however, there are few rights of way, or other access to land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ramblers</span> Hikers association in the UK

The Ramblers is the trading name of the Ramblers Association, Great Britain's leading walking charity. The Ramblers is also a membership organisation with around 100,000 members and a network of volunteers who maintain and protect the path network. The organisation was founded in 1935, and campaigns to keep the British countryside open to all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right of way</span> Legal right to pass through land belonging to another

Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage, to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar right of access also exists on land held by a government, lands that are typically called public land, state land, or Crown land. When one person owns a piece of land that is bordered on all sides by lands owned by others, an easement may exist or might be created so as to initiate a right of way through the bordering land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alladale Wilderness Reserve</span> Protected area in Highland, Scotland, UK

Alladale Wilderness Reserve is a 23,000-acre (93 km2) highland estate in the Scottish Highlands. The estate was purchased in 2003 by conservationist and philanthropist Paul Lister, who hopes to recreate a wooded landscape and reintroduce native animals including predators such as the Scottish wildcat and the wolf. It is now being managed as a privately-owned nature reserve that aims to promote biodiversity and associated tourism at the forefront of its mission. The idea of a wilderness reserve was inspired by Lister's visits to South Africa's ever popular game reserves, and to create an area of outstanding natural beauty, where a pack of European wolves could be released into a controlled reserve. This has been proven in South Africa, when over-grazed farmland has been returned to a more natural state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Level crossings in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of level crossings in the United Kingdom

There are around 6,000 level crossings in the United Kingdom, of which about 1,500 are public highway crossings. This number is gradually being reduced as the risk of accidents at level crossings is considered high. The director of the UK Railway Inspectorate commented in 2004 that "the use of level crossings contributes the greatest potential for catastrophic risk on the railways." The creation of new level crossings on the national network is banned, with bridges and tunnels being the more favoured options. The cost of making significant reductions, other than by simply closing the crossings, is substantial; some commentators argue that the money could be better spent. Some 5,000 crossings are user-worked crossings or footpaths with very low usage. The removal of crossings can improve train performance and lower accident rates, as some crossings have low rail speed limits enforced on them to protect road users. In fact, between 1845 and 1933, there was a 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h) speed limit on level crossings of turnpike roads adjacent to stations for lines whose authorising Act of Parliament had been consolidated in the Railways Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 although this limit was at least sometimes disregarded.

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides detailed guidance on the exercise of the ancient tradition of universal access to land in Scotland, which was formally codified by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. Under Scots law everyone has the right to be on most land and inland water for recreation, education and going from place to place providing they act responsibly. The basis of access rights in Scotland is one of shared responsibilities, in that those exercising such rights have to act responsibly, whilst landowners and managers have a reciprocal responsibility to respect the interests of those who exercise their rights. The code provides detailed guidance on these responsibilities.

References

Footnotes
    Notes
    1. 1 2 3 The Rambler Gate – Scottish Natural Heritage.
    2. Guide to Country Gates and Barriers, p. 11-12.
    Bibliography