You'll be surprised by the things you find on walks. Not bowled-over by all of them perhaps, but gather them all together and you've got something quietly wonderful. So without further ado: 32 UTTERLY POINTLESS STILES AND GATES...
Lisa Cadwallader spotted this beaut on the Wrekin.
Carole Rodgers' walking partner couldn't bring himself to look at this abomination on Rothiemurchus estate.
Kaz Benders was offered a hop, skip and a jump into the brambles by this one.
Sally Hitchings spotted a number of flaws with this stile in Boston park South Yorkshire.
Tellulah Delores came across this rarer treasure at Trefechan beach – a gate not only pointless but blocked by rocks from a storm.
Russell Lomas laments the fact his dog still walked up to it at first and waited for this to be opened for him.
Where would the Ribble Way be without this wondered Sarah Swindells.
Beth Costin spotted a stile in its dying moments at Ogden water.
Textbook pointlessness from Rebecca Burton.
Andrew Shone was delighted with this relic near the smallest city in Britain, St Davids.
Excellent grippy surface on this redundant stile spotted by Geina Morgan.
Mandy Harrison shot this wistful stile just outside Morwenstow on the coast path, as it dreamed of boot-treads passed.
Hi ho! It's off to nowhere we go! Well played Sally Smith on the Roman Fort Walk near Hope.
Sara-Jane Davies walked from Westoning to Pulloxhill without any assistance from this gate.
Good job that gate's there, Karen Porter. Bonus points for texting teen.
Hazel Kerrison found this pointless perch near Rosedale on the Yorkshire moors, and had a wally on hand to demonstrate.
Angela Barnes rejoiced in this gate whose moment in command had long-since passed.
Not much longer for this one spotted by Ruth Harland in Dalston, Cumbria.
Nice and new, totally needless, by Wendy Chidgey.
Michelle Neighbour spotted this high-falutin' gate arrangement utterly ignored by the path at Horrocks Wood & nature trail.
Nigel Riley wondered when the last time this stile felt the touch of feet was.
'Please close the gate' read the sign. Imagine what might happen if you didn't, wondered Gillian Nicholl.
Sue Mulley spotted this gate doing a passable impression of an abandoned Ifor Williams trailer.
Nikki Payne appreciated the effort of this gate to keep out of walkers' way.
Well, it looks pretty at least, thought Joanne Burr.
Claire Lloyd, relishing the redundancy.
This one was almost poignantly isolated (again by Claire Lloyd).
If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a pointless style, says Joanne Davies.
Splendidly sure of itself, but this pointless orifice wasn't fooling Jodie Trembles.
Pointless stiles: the poor landowner's folly. By Sarah Jones.
Two nice gates there, doing nowt, observed Linda Blackwell.
And is this where the craze goes next? A thought-provoking bench.
