March 04, 2016

Five stiles for Friday

Here I am again with Five on Friday for Amy's meme. This week I'm taking a look at stiles - those wonderful contraptions that let you cross fences, walls and other boundaries. It's to link in to a post I've done this week on my other blog.
Don't forget to click the link at the bottom to visit other people's entries.

OK, so here's the first example. It might look like a gate, but those decorative ironwork pieces are fixed so you have to go around them and squeeze through the gap. It's a way of ensuring that livestock can't get out of a field, but humans have no trouble passing through. This one leads to the churchyard at Breedon on the Hill. (That's the one you can see as you drive up the M(A)42 through Leicestershire.)

Here's a nice stone one from Hathersage in Derbyshire. There's plenty of millstone grit around that area to build sturdy examples like this. They're firm under the feet and easy to cross.

Here's a complex design from the National Trust property Calke Abbey (yes - Derbyshire again). That extra bit on the left with the three uprights is a lift-up section so dog walkers can let their pets pass underneath rather than trying to get them over the top. (Have you ever tried to get a dog to cross a stile?  It's why I have cats these days.)

And this one's in Wales. Probably the tallest stile I ever saw! Those cross pieces at the top make it easy to climb though, because you have something to hold on to. It's near Ruthin

And this complex little number is, as you can see, next to a canal. The Trent and Mersey, to be exact, close to Trent Lock.  I'm not entirely sure whether it's Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire. The Trent is the boundary between three counties (including Leicestershire) at various places along this stretch and it's always hard to tell exactly where you are. The river is behind you at this point.



19 comments:

  1. Interesting post, the stile by the canal is interesting. I need to discover more of the canals around here.
    Caz xx

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  2. I'm always fascinated by different styles and gates when I'm out walking. Even on stretches of coast path they vary. Have a great weekend. Barbara

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  3. What a great post, I didn't realise there were so many variations of the stile. Amazing.

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  4. Quite a varied lot! They look in good condition too. I shall have to go out for a walk now, you've put me in the mood! :-)

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  5. Love your five stiles, I've clambered over one of the Welsh ones before and been over one or two of the V shaped ones but not being a dog owner didn't know about the lift up bit. It is hard to know which county you are in around that area of the Trent isn't it?

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  6. Oh we love a stile! Our black lab loves to jump over them and then look back at the dogs that won't even try ha! The other thing about stiles is they are usually in really pretty places, so what is not to love! A great post, have a great weekend xx

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  7. Interesting post. I love the first one, it's like art.

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  8. Thank you for this lovely post! I learned a new word and saw many inspiring examples. The second one is my favourite.
    Thank you also for your kind comment today! According to my experience, even knitting has more to do with the yarn used (and the correct size of needles) than with the person working. :)
    Have a great weekend!

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  9. Great choice for a post. Love all the different styles x

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  10. I loved seeing your photos of the stiles! I'm going to share this post with my little grandson as one of his favorite stories is The Old Woman and Her Pig. Have a fabulous weekend, Pat

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  11. How interesting I have crossed quite a few stiles myself but I didn't realise how many different styles of stiles there were. Have a great weekend. :)

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  12. what an interesting post, I love 5 on Friday, you never know what you are going to find

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  13. Great examples of articles and crossings. You are so right About trying to get dogs to cross strikes, it is very nearly impossible isn't it. Thank you for sharing at Five on Friday, hope that you have a great weekend. xx

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  14. What a wonderful post. Those stiles with the bit for dogs to get through are so clever, we see a couple of these on one of our regular walks and I think they are a great idea. xx

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  15. Very interesting. I like taking note of styles when out and about rather than trying to get over or through them these days.

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  16. I like stiles and kissing gates, makes our walks in England even more fun. Though getting over some of them can be an adventure.

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  17. Fascinating - I'm wondering whether the first style works well in preventing the livestock escaping?! I'd have thought the smaller, determined animals just snake their way past! It is so pretty though :)
    Hope you are having a great weekend!
    Wren x

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  18. Loved your post. I've never seen anything like this. I've only seen the go-up-stairs-then-go-down-stairs kind. And I love the names in the UK. If I weren't so old, I'd find a fellow named Lock to marry, and then I'd have a baby - a boy - and I'd name him Trent. Trent Lock. Doesn't that have a nice masculine ring to it?

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  19. You certainly know how to do stiles with style in the UK. Thanks for sharing.

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