Stile
A stile , also Stile , North German Stägel , is a device by which a pedestrian an enclosure (hedge, a wall, fence) may exceed. In the case of walls, one speaks of the wall step .
construction
In the case of board or wide-meshed wire fences , the stile often consists of one or more wooden planks that are led through the fence at different heights and form a kind of staircase that can be used to climb and descend. Sometimes the fence is a little lower at this point to make it easier to climb over.
More elaborate constructions work with stairs or ladders leaning against one another .
Occurrence
In Germany, stiles in the settlement or agricultural area are rare. They are mainly found in the forest on wild fences and on hiking trails in the Alpine region near fenced mountain pastures .
Fence stiles are much more common in Great Britain , Ireland and Scandinavia , where traditional rights of way often run over demarcated pastureland. The English word is stile , its relationship with the North German stem is obvious.
Fence steps are also created to make sights off the beaten track such as ruins or prehistoric monuments accessible.
Use
Fence stiles are designed in such a way that pedestrians can easily cross them, but are insurmountable for livestock or game. Hoofed animals or cloven-hoofed animals cannot stand on the narrow steps and therefore cannot cross the transition.
disadvantage
Fence stiles can be insurmountable for people with physical disabilities or those with limited mobility. Alternatives are self-closing cattle gates or cattle grids embedded in the road surface . Devices such as " kissing gates " or narrow wall or grid gaps, so-called squeeze gates ( German " squeeze gates " ), are also not usable for wheelchair users.
Examples
Wall step on the Cateran Trail
Low stile, on the right there is also a dog gate with gravity lock
Step into the wall at Maiden's Cleuch Pass
Stile construction made from steps in Snowdonia
A "squeeze gate" can also be used instead of the stile
“Squeeze gate” made of stone
