I've seen the stairs the old-timers built-- pretty steep

Friday, August 13 (Monmouth).--As I was going down a steep pair of stairs, my foot slipped and I fell down several steps. Falling on the edge of one of them, it broke the case of an almanack, which was in my pocket, all to pieces. The edge of another stair met my right buckle and snapped the steel chape of it in two; but I was not hurt. So doth our good Master give His angels charge over us! In the evening I preached at Brecknock.

The Journal of John Wesley