A stile is a pair of steps or ladders that is accessible to pedestrians but generally inaccessible to animals. Stiles are often found in rural areas or along footpaths and allow access to a field or other area enclosed by a fence or wall. Unlike a gate, there is no chance of forgetting to close it, but they may be difficult to use for some disabled individuals. In the UK many stiles were built under legal compulsion, and for that reason a wide variety of designs exist some with the intention of being difficult to use. 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 often replaced by kissing gates.
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.
