If you see a crowd of people walking around Chorleywood Common brandishing sticks, it will be Friends of Chorleywood Common carrying out a “Beating of the Bounds” ritual, sometimes referred to as ‘riding the marches’, ‘riding the fringes’ or ‘ common riding’.
The procession around the parish boundary dating back to the 15th Century originally took place every year on Rogation Sunday a few weeks after Easter and involves beating the perimeter with stripped willow branches. It was designed to show people the extent of the boundary, something essential in pre-map days.
The ground, stones, trees or other marker points around the boundary would be beaten while chanting, “Mark! Mark! Mark!” and also by literally bumping a boy held upside down (often a choirboy) against the mark and tapping his head gently against the stone or he would be swung against a tree! In Chorleywood the walk covers the perimeter of the Common rather than the Parish, and, true to tradition, willing young volunteers have sometimes been suspended head downwards en route
“ The original idea was that all the information would all go in to the boy’s head!” says Yvonne Merritt, Parish Clerk, “The boundary walk actually has a practical purpose for us as we check for encroachments and fly tipping and assess if any work needs doing – we take photos and discuss at the next Open Spaces Meeting. If it’s a large turn out on 5th May we might split into two groups and head off clockwise and anti clockwise and meet in the middle.”
Local resident Olive Entwhistle has been taking part in the Boundary
procession for thirty years.
“At 87 I’m getting a bit old for it now as I find it difficult to walk. I joined in because I am a Commoner. Only five houses in
Chorleywood have Commoners’ rights and ours is one of them because my parents took the opportunity to register the house in1935. Beating the Bounds is a fun day, really put on for the children and makes people more aware of our children love it and even dogs come along.”