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Beating the Bounds

Beating The Bounds is an ancient tradition that dates back centuries. It involves a ceremonial walk around the boundaries of a parish or community to reaffirm and remember the exact location of these boundaries. This practice was especially important before the advent of modern maps and surveying techniques.

CVHS re-enacted this tradition on Sunday 25 May 2025 with a walk visiting 4 points on the Chearsley Parish boundary, each marked with a plaque for the purpose.  Light willow sticks were provided to repeat the tradition of ‘beating’ these markers to ensure no-one forgets where they are.  
 
The event was in two parts:

Walk 1 was a return walk to a Northern marker at Chearsley Furze with a total length of about 3.5 miles.  20 walkers participated.
Start time was 10.30am from The Bell and finished at The Bell just after 12.00.

Walk 2 visited markers on the South, West and East parts of the boundary.  It was just over 2 miles long and some 35 people took part
Start time was 2.30pm from the Church, finishing at The Bell at 4.15pm

The walking completed in time for a BBQ at the Bell provided by Sharon and the team which was followed by live music in the evening. 

More Historical Background

The tradition is believed to have been started in Vienne in the South of France, around AD 470 by the Holy Bishop Mamertus. It was introduced to England and other parts of Europe as a way to reaffirm parish boundaries and seek divine protection.

Its main purpose was to ensure that everyone knew the exact boundaries of their parish, which was crucial for matters such as liability for church repairs, burial rights, and common rights. The ceremony was also believed to avert calamities and seek divine blessings.

The event usually took place on Ascension Day or during Rogation Week (the week leading up to Ascension Day). The parish priest, churchwardens, and other officials would lead a procession of local boys armed with birch or willow twigs to beat the boundary markers. In some cases, the boys were even bumped on the stones to help them remember the boundaries!

While the practical need for Beating the Bounds has diminished with modern surveying techniques, the tradition continues in some communities as a way to preserve local history and foster community spirit.

Filming at the Event

A film team from Zagreb joined in the walk for the first part of the afternoon to capture some of the action. They were filming a documentary series about the film locations used for British TV series such as Midsomer Murders and Downton Abbey that are very popular in Croatia.
They were delighted to be shown around the parish and thrilled by the village and surrounding countryside.

More Information

Photographs and a downloadable pdf version of the day's activities, including a detailed map of the walk, is available on the CVHS Village Archive at CVHS Google Drive - Beating the Bounds (it may be necessary to log into any Google account to access the shared CVHS drive)