Beating The Bounds ….. a Spring custom of circumnavigating a land boundary …. for the dual purpose of demarcation of a community or estate and of blessing the land and its crops.
Undeterred by cloudy skies and chilly temperature, twelve walkers, three dogs and a baby set off from Littlebury on the first leg (!) of ‘Beating the Bounds’. Mike Hancock kept up a steady pace along the Icknield Way, and across the fields to meet at Strethall Church at midday, where Dr David Melford enthralled listeners with his account of the Siege of Strethall Hall and invited all present to his colourful garden at ‘Ryders’ for Picnic Lunch, and Cava kindly supplied by the Millennium Society.
More walkers joined, and all set off again, walking west, past the Boundary Oak where the Parishes of Elmdon, Strethall and Littlebury meet, and at 2 o’clock at Elmdon Lee there were thirty eight walkers, six dogs and a baby!
Tired legs and feet, and numbers decreasing a little before walking through the Audley End estate and the privilege of appreciating the beautiful inside of the Temple, and the sight of Audley End House with the ‘All the Kings Horses’ Event from an altered viewpoint.
A short breather at Audley End House, to admire the tulips, before taking the ‘NO Trespassers’ footpath along the river from the Kitchen Garden to the Rec at Littlebury.
Not everyone was available for the survivors’ photograph in the welcome sunshine, but there were still three dogs, several adults, some keen teenagers and a baby.
Chris Greet