On 1 May 2016, some of us “beat the bounds” of our parish. It was a glorious day, and after a hymn and a prayer in church, we set off on our way from the church hall.
The parish boundary runs along the railway line, but rather than take our lives into our hands, we walked along the nearest roads, and crossed the railway line at the footbridge.
After a picnic at the Gibraltar recreation ground, we continued on our way enjoying the beautiful weather. We entered Nonsuch park where we recreated the ancient practice of beating boundary stones– hence the name, “beating the bounds.”
Outside Nonsuch Park some of the party had to go, but the rest of us continued on the rest of the walk, 9 miles in total.
The Hogsmill river forms part of the parish boundary. Again, we didn’t wade through the middle of the river, but walked alongside it, crossing it as necessary.
After fortifying ourselves at Ewell Court tea rooms, we completed the boundary, returning the church around 4.30pm. Here are those who completed the whole route:
