nichepoetryandprose

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How do you get over a fence or a wall if it is too high to step over???

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You can use a stairway or a stile !!!

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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Earth)

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7-44  October 30, 2013  30 minutes  3.0 km  (from Mawnan to north of Durgan)

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Near Durgan, I saw a stone stairway along the road.  As I painted, I began to believe that I saw a blue stone among the others (when I look at the photo now, I think it was a trick of the eye!).  Can you find the blue stone? (Hint: it is not one of the two blue stones in the bottom course of stones)!

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inspiration for ‘blue stone’ (image from Street View)

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October 25, 2013 ‘blue stone’ Jane Tims

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7-45  November 1, 2013  30 minutes  3.0 km  (Durgan to Port Navas)

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A short way from Durgan, I also saw a stile.  I have seen several stiles along my virtual journey, but this is the first stile I have see made entirely of stone.  A stile is a structure built in a fence, wall or other barrier to allow people to pass but keep animals in.  Stiles were often required in the UK but no standard guidelines to their construction were issued, so many styles of stile are found!  Stiles can consist of a ladder, steps, or even a narrow gap in a stone wall.

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stile near Mawnan (image from Street View)

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As a kid, I loved to hear about stiles.  One of the stories my Mom told me was about the Old Woman who had a Pig who wouldn’t go over the stile.  She found a Dog and said ‘Dog, Dog, bite Pig so Pig will go over the stile and I can get home to my supper tonight!’  After talking to many animals, items and people, the woman finally succeeds.  ‘The Man began to marry the Maid, the Maid began to milk the Cow, the Cat began to drink the milk, the Cat began to kill the Rat, the Rat began to gnaw the Rope, the Rope began to hang the Butcher, the Butcher began to kill the Ox, the Ox began to drink the Water, the Water began to quench the Fire, the Fire began to burn the Stick, the Stick began to beat the Dog, the Dog began to bite the Pig, the Pig jumped over the stile, and so the Old Woman got home to get her supper’.

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A rather violent tale for children as many children’s stories are.  But as a child, I loved the repetition and the idea of consequence, and the knowledge that the Old Woman got her supper.

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When we first built our house, we built a stile over the fence by the front gate and it was so much fun to step over!

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inspiration for ‘stile near Durgan’ (image from Street View)

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October 26, 2012 ‘stile near Durgan’ Jane Tims

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Copyright  2013  Jane Tims