Near Blean, Kent – 4/10

A great stile is of course not just about the initial construction and design, but also about ongoing care and maintenance. Well, in this case both of these are very substandard. The design of the actual stile itself in terms of the dimensions, measurements and materials is functional at best, with just the single step making navigation more of an effort that it should be. Meanwhile, the completely egregious attempts to ‘hide’ the barbed wire also make the whole experience rather hazardous. However, further marks have to be deducted for the lack of maintenance – if the barbed wire doesn’t get you, then those thorns may well do so!