Tag:barrier=stile

barrier=stile
Description
A structure which provides people a passage through or over a boundary via steps, ladders or narrow gaps. 
Rendering in OSM Carto
Group: Barriers
Used on these elements
Status: approved

A  stile is a structure which allows people to pass through or over a linear barrier=* (ie. a fence or wall) via steps, ladders or narrow gaps.

How to map

Simply add the tag barrier=stile to the node where the stile is located.

Where there is a stile where a footpath and a road join, do not place a stile at the junction, but at a node on the footpath:

Stile types

Stepover stile

Image Notes Tags
Stone stepover stile
barrier=stile
stile=stepover
material=stone
step_count=5 (note step hidden partially in the grass. Note that there could be 5 or less steps on the other side. If there would be more than 5 then that count would be tagged)
Stiles where people have to step over the barrier
stile=stepover
material=wood
See gettyimages (no image available on WikiCommons) and Pinterest post Similar to a stepover stile where a number of horizontal beams need to be pressed down on one side. The other side is weighted, so that it closes by itself. Contrary to the regular stepover stile, it requires mechanical action to cross. (There are very few surviving.)
stile=clapper
material=wood

Squeezer stile

Squeezer stiles are V or Y-shaped and locally also known as "hipster stiles".

Image Notes Tags
stile=squeezer
material=stone
Wooden squeezer stiles often come with one step
stile=squeezer
material=wood
Difficulties in identifying the stile may occur where there is also a gate.
Here there is a stone squeezer type stile. The landowner has more recently added a wooden gate. This is generally done because the barrier needs to retain smaller animals.
barrier=stile
stile=squeezer
material=stone
The above should not be confused with the following example:
The above is a small gate, and should be tagged barrier=gate. The metal gate is not a recent addition and is part of the original barrier. The material for the posts is also concrete rather than stone.
barrier=gate
And additional tags as per that page.
The primary historic interest will be the stone squeezer
barrier=stile
stile=squeezer
material=stone
step_count=1
rambler(s) gate. Similar to a squeezer stile, but with movable parts. Sometimes referred to/ mapped as stile=pinchpoint. See  Rambler_gate. stile=ramblers_gate

Ladder stile

Image Notes Tags
barrier=stile
stile=ladder
material=metal
step_count=4 (bottom rung on the ground not counted, step to the top platform counted)[1]
Stiles where there is a ladder either side of the barrier.
barrier=stile
stile=ladder
material=wood


If known, the material should also be tagged. For example, stone stiles form part of the historic landscape character of the UK, and identifying their location is useful in preservation work. Where possible, the stile should be tagged with material=* with values stone, wood, or metal.

Tagging stile type is useful for evaluating how easy a stile is to use for people with restricted mobility, for example older people who want to hike but would have problem with ladders.

Step-over and ladder stiles can have the number of steps added using step_count=*, also useful to judge how demanding it will be to pass for people with limited mobility. step_count=* should be set to the number of steps on one side. If step count is different on each side, the larger one should be used.

Dog gate

Some stiles have small "dog gates" attached to them. There is a small hole at ground-level closed off by a plank of wood that can be pulled up from the top of the wall/barrier to open up the gate and allow a dog to pass through. The term is used in British Standard BS5709:2018. Tag these with dog_gate=yes.


See also

Other names

Norwegian: Gjerdeklyver, trapp

Common/possible tagging mistakes

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
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