Holy Trinity Beating the Bounds

Going back to Anglo-Saxon times, the custom of Beating the Bounds involved walking around the parish boundary and beating markers with a willow wand. Indeed often a choirboy was held up by his ankles and his head was bumped against the boundary marker. Apparently this was so that the closest witness to the beating of the bounds would survive as long as possible!

Beating the bounds had a religious side in the practice which originated the term Rogation, the accompanying clergy being supposed to beseech (rogare) the divine blessing upon the parish lands for the ensuing harvest. Priests would pray for the parish’s protection in the forthcoming year. Hymns would be sung, indeed a number of hymns are titled for their role, and many places in the English countryside bear names such as 'Gospel Oak' testifying to their role in the beating of the bounds.

The ceremony had an important practical purpose. Checking the boundaries was a way of preventing encroachment by neighbours; sometimes boundary markers would be moved, or lines obscured, and a folk memory of the true extent of the parish was necessary to maintain integrity of the borders.

Pictures from 'Beating the Bounds' Click on the images to view the gallery

On 17 May (Rogation Sunday), reviving this custom, a group led by Richard and the Bartlett family, risked the heavy showers, walking from the church, alongside Northwood Golf Club, through Ruislip Woods to the southernmost part of the parish for a picnic by Haste Hill Station at Ruislip Lido. We were blessed with sunshine for lunch but less inviting was the very hungry dog (with sadly an unapologetic dog-walking-owner) that invaded and wolfed down a whole sandwich in one go. After lunch, the walkers, headed up past Haste Hill Golf Course and to the War Memorial in Green Lane for our second rendezvous. At this point we ventured out of the parish, if only for the better photo opportunity by the station!

Taking a route alongside the eastern boundary adjacent to the Metropolitan Line we were treated to some local history courtesy of Peter Connell who showed us the Coal Post, previously located in the between the two sets of railway tracks, identifying the London boundary and a toll which initially went towards the rebuilding of London after the great fire of 1666.

When we were nearly up to the northernmost part we were ready for a cup of tea! Rather conveniently the parish boundary actually runs through the garden of Brian and Tricia Watkins who very kindly provided tea and cakes which were very welcome indeed!

After the obligatory photo call on the boundary we ventured back to the church along Kewferry Road just beating the showers!

Sadly few parish boundary markers still exist (not much need in the days of GPS and satellite mapping), so as we were neither armed with willow wands nor did the walkers feel that the only available (six foot, fifteen stone) choirboy was pliable enough, over the enjoyable five mile walk, we started a Holy Trinity tradition by beating the bounds with umbrellas!

Thanks to Richard for leading the way following Sue and Alice’s map and special thanks to Tricia Watkins who permitted her home to be invaded by a hoard of muddy and thirsty walkers!

To see the extent of the Holy Trinity boundary online, go to this website: www.achurchnearyou.com

Carl Landsbert (the non-pliable choirboy)