Country Style

Walking in rural England you often reach fences which are supposed to keep animals in a field (or out of it) but to let people pass.  Often there are footboards so that you can step over the fence.  We use the term 'stile' to describe them.

However, across a public path in Hungerford church yard, close to the Kennet and Avon canal, I was confronted by this alternative design.  I had just passed a group of people coming the other way and doubted that they had climbed over it, but it looked just like a fence.

An interesting type of gate (or stile) in Hungerford - closed.

Looking at it from the other side, I found an odd looking post that seemed to have been cut into four sections.

An interesting type of gate (or stile) in Hungerford - closed - from the other side.

And then I realised that the left hand post sections act only as counterweights, and that the pins through the smaller post were pivot points for the horizontal bars.

When you press the top bar down this happens . . . 

An interesting type of gate (or stile) in Hungerford - open.

and you can step over the fence at its lowest point.  When you let go, the bars rise again under the influence of the weights on the left hand side.

Surprisingly ingenious!  I've never seen one of these before. 

Small but appreciative note:  Thanks to regular reader, Darryl, for pointing out that I had not spelt stile correctly.  I think I have changed the spellings appropriately now.