Near Hatch End, Harrow – 6/10

The landowners within the more rural parts of the London borough of Harrow really do seem to embrace the ‘staircase’ two step design for their stiles! This may well upset the purists, but two steps are better than one (or indeed none – there are some stiles out there with none!

In relation to the top bar, the steps are of solid and sizeable pieces of wood that are at a decent height to allow relatively care-free navigation of the stile, providing you use the main pole to hold onto – the other two smaller poles are wrapped in barbed wire ready to infect with tetanus, so keep away from them! There is certainly nothing spectacular about this stile, and while the design of the two steps may enrage some, it cannot be denied that it is solid enough, though careful with those few stinging nettles poking through!