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A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge, and is built using stone uprights spaced across the stream or river, with stone slabs laid on top to form the walkway.

The oldest bridge in Britain is thought to be Tarr Steps on Exmoor, Somerset, which is known as a Clapper bridge

A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of Devon (Dartmoor and ... They are often situated close to a ford where carts could cross. ... Some larger clapper bridges, such as at Dartmeet and Bellever, have collapsed – their slabs swept away by floods, or raided for building or wall construction. However ...

A clapper is the part of a bell that swings back and forth within the shall and strikes the shell, making the bell ring. The clapper suspension is the method by which a clapper is hung inside the shell of a bell. A clapper is also a person who claps hands. A clapper can also be two flat pieces of wood, held between the fingers and struck together rhythmically. A clapper bridge is an ancient form of stone bridge found in part of England in which large flat slabs of granite or schist are supported on stone piers or laid along a stream bank.