Stile 549513 223327673 2008-07-03T16:13:31Z Glospep 4252499 I had inserted British Standard in wrong paragraph [[image:KentStile.jpg.JPG|right|thumb|A wooden stile]] {{dablink|For the shock website, see [[Stile Project]].}} A '''stile''' is a pair of [[Stairway|step]]s or [[ladder]]s on rural footpaths, designed to let walkers through but not animals. Stiles are often found in rural areas or along [[trail|footpath]]s and allow access to a field or other area enclosed by a [[fence]] or [[wall]] or [[hedge]]. Unlike a [[gate]], there is no chance of forgetting to close it, but they may well be difficult to use for some [[disabled]] people and people with limited mobility. In the [[United Kingdom|UK]] many stiles were built under [[Rights of way in the United Kingdom|legal compulsion]]. For that reason a wide variety of designs exist - some with the intention of being difficult to use{{Fact|date=November 2007}}. Recent changes in UK government policy towards farming has encouraged landowners in upland areas to make their land more available to the public, and this has seen an increase in the number of stiles and an improvement in their overall condition. However, on popular paths, stiles are increasingly replaced by [[kissing gate]]s - or, where the field is arable, the stile can be removed altogether, as there are no longer any animals to control! Stiles also sometimes have a 'dog latch' or 'dog gate' to the side of them, which can be lifted to enable a dog to get through (see pictures below). There is a British Standard that includes stiles BS5709:2006 Gaps Gates & Stiles (ISBN 0 580 48107 7). It says "New structures shall not be stiles unless exceptional circumstances require them". ==Other uses== In [[woodworking]], a ''stile'' is part of a [[frame and panel]] construction technique using two vertical boards that, together with the horizontal rails, make up a paneled [[door]], [[sash window]] or chest of drawers. The stile also lends its name to the title character in the [[Apprentice Adept]] series, by [[Piers Anthony]]. ==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Ladder stile Snowdonia.jpg|Ladder stile in [[Snowdonia]] Image:Ranaghan_Stile_MII.jpg|Ranaghan [[Westmeath]] Mass-path Stile Image:Style.JPG| Construction of [[Ranaghan]] [[Mass path]] Stile Image:Stile with dog gate OS SY567846.jpg|Stile with dog gate. </gallery> ==See also== {{Commonscat | Stiles }} * [[Turnstile]] * [[Kissing gate]] * [[Cattle grid]] * [[Mass path]] [[Category:Architectural elements]] [[Category:History of Ireland]] [[Category:Type of gate]] [[Category:Agricultural terminology]]