Beating the Bounds

On Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2008, twenty-eight fearless and intrepid walkers, plus a dog, gathered in the churchyard for the ancient Rogation-tide custom of Beating the Bounds.

On a typically wet Bank Holiday Monday, the group set out at 8.30.am, along Station Road and then via the footpath to Grange Lane.

In Grange Lane, the Procession stopped in a beautiful fruit orchard planted to celebrate the Millenium. Prayers were said for the health and productivity of the orchards of the parish before the group walked, via Cobbs Farm

to Robin Nunnerley’s Wholesale Nursery, where harvesting of bedding plants was in full swing.

Having sung the Harvest hymn We plough the fields and scatter, the group walked on via Dagnell End Road to the stile and footpath that leads to Rowney Green.

The ground was rather water-logged

And crossing stiles was no easy matter

Especially when there were young heifers looking on.

But there were compensations, such as the beautiful bluebells in Lower Rowney Green wood.

The walkers were glad to arrive at Rowney Green Peace Hall where there was a Coffee Morning in aid of the Parkinson’s Association. Here, welcome cups of hot, steaming coffee and chocolate biscuits were consumed and all thoughts of the rain banished.

Then it was back into the rain where, after prayers for village life, the walkers headed off in the direction of Weatheroak Hill.

In Ickneild Street they passed the spot where P.C. John Davies had been murdered. Matthew, the youngest walker, attempted to clean the mud from the memorial stone.

When the walkers reached the point where the parishes of Alvechurch, Beoley and Wythall meet, someone produced a photograph of the Beating of the Bounds in 1956.

It showed the youngest person present being symbolically beaten by the oldest person present in order to impress upon the youngster the exact boundaries of the parish. The 2008 walkers re-enacted the ceremony, with nine-year-old Matthew suffering under the cruel blows of old Brian Watkiss.

At 1.00.pm the walkers arrived at The Peacock for lunchtime refreshments.

At The Peacock they met a group from Wythall beating their parish boundary. Their boundary was only five miles long. The Alvechurch group, which had now swelled to thirty, was only half way around its sixteen mile boundary.

Leaving The Peacock, the group struck off along the North Worcestershire Way where they stopped for prayers in a meadow containing sheep, that were extremely friendly.

A rare piece of botany was discovered along the way: the Good Friday Flower, otherwise known as The Town Clock Flower because its small flower faced in four different directions.

It was extremely muddy along the North Worcestershire Way.

So imagine the joy of arriving at Barnt Green Sailing Club and finding tea and homemade scones and sponge cake plus a comfortable chair to watch the sailing boats on Bittle Reservoir!

Then came the final leg of the walk along the dam at Upper Bittle Reservoir where a profusion of cowslips was growing.

A walk along the canal towpath to Aqueduct Lane, followed by a gruelling climb up Cooper’s Hill to Foxhill Lane, was rewarded with beautiful views of Withybed Green seen from the bench erected in gratitude to Forrest Hanson.

Finally came the walk back to the church. The Walk had taken 10 hours. The eighteen walkers who completed the Beating of the Bounds joined in the final Rogation prayers – and then adjourned to The Weighbridge for a well-deserved pint!