WITH reference to 'Putting in the miles without facing stiles (Craven Herald, May 12), it was good to see this initiative.

I wrote an illustrated article, "The Style of Stiles" about ten years ago about the need for a major re-think on these countryside obstructions following my wife's fall off the bottom rung of a ladder stile on Hadrian's Wall.

Thereafter the most basic of walks became problematic and I would have to recce walks for stiles before setting out. Anyone with mobility issues will know what I mean when confronted with any form of stile.

In my article I cited three low level walks from where I live in Bentham, each having their own stile problems. One a popular riverside walk between villages that should be accessible to everyone regardless of ability, one across fields linking two villages and one about a triple SSSI site famed in springtime as of now for its flowers.

Pitched to all the the traditional monthly walking magazines, it was universally rejected as too controversial.

So good to see various organisations are getting a wake-up call to get rid of these needless obstruction and make the countryside accessible to all.

Allan Hartley

International Mountain Leader (retired)

Bentham