“Beating the Bounds”. Hertfordshire Mercury, 19th May 1902.
Faithful to their traditional objection to allowing any ancient custom to fall into disuse, a certain number of the inhabitants of Bayford assembled on Whit-Monday morning to “beat” or in official language “Perambulate”) their boundaries.
How far back this custom can be traced is, indeed, uncertain; one theory being that it originated in the priest of the ancient ecclesiastical parish blessing the various fields during the “gang days” in Rogation Week.
It is, however, far more probable that the custom extends back to the time when, in the absence of official and fixed records, the boundaries were both determined by traditional usage, and evidenced by perambulations.
The boundaries of Bayford were last beaten in 1892; and, this being the Coronation year, it was arranged by the Parish Council that the ceremony should once more take place.
It was further arranged that the three oldest inhabitants should be conveyed in a cart to all the most important points, so as to dispose of, by their previous knowledge, any dispute that might arise; and that six true Bayford boys should be selected to witness and perpetuate their decisions.
A start was made at 10:20a.m.
from the locked gate from Bayford to Fanshaws, amongst those present being Mr W Clinton Baker, Mr H Clinton Baker, Mr Hugh Clinton Baker, Miss K Baker, Rev.
W L Crichton (vicar), Rev C E Hornby, Messrs H Childs, F Childs, A Wackett, J Jones, A J Childs, H T Pollard, W T Farrow, Dudley, Bird, Durgan, Cheek, J Fletcher, A Brace, A Scripps, C Catling, J Hill and H W Doyle (assistant-overseer).
The boundary was followed along the hedge on the Bayford side of the brook as far as the first stone, upon which the Vicar successfully claimed the traditional privilege of being the first to be “bumped”.
The hedge was then followed to edge of Harmond’s Wood, where the line crosses the brook and goes along the hedge on the Brickendon side of the brook as far as Column Wood and close outside the latter, nearly as far as Brickendon-lane, where it turns at right angles to the corner of the garden of the Horns Inn, where an ancient stone post is carefully preserved by the occupier.
Every post on route claimed its victim, Mr H Clinton Baker and Mr H W Doyle being among them.
From here the party proceeded along the river ( the boundary being the centre) as far as the island osier bed near Leaside Cottage, where Mr Alfred Waddington, one of the overseers for Bayford, duly reported himself, and standing in the centre of the footbridge dipped his foot in the river, saying “I declare this to be the boundary.”
Then, after having duly bumped the village blacksmith, the meadows were crossed as was also the high road at the corner of Gravefield Grove, and, skirting the plantation, made across Bayford Hall Farm, over the brook to the top of the opposite hill, where the advice of riper years had to be taken, the parish post having been some years previously ousted from its former proud position by some wanton ploughman! From here the public footpath in Reading Bottom constituted the remainder of the work before luncheon, which was provided in the granary at Bayford Hall Farm.
On resuming, the route followed the brook through Bayford Wood to Bells Wood, across Bucks Farm to Ponsbourne Lodge Farm, where on a post on the left hand side of the road descending towards Newgate-street is clearly inscribed “BP 1835.”
The, having scaled the palings and reached the point near Ashendene, it was decided that the Assistant Overseer would be neglecting his duty were he to fail to introduce a deputation and report progress to the Chairman of the Parish Council, Rev C E Hornby, who welcomed the invaders in a manner entirely consistent with that honourable position.
Then, having crossed a few fields, Ponsbourne Lodge was next reached, and another half mile along the road brought the “beaters” to Devils Lane, where a somewhat portly enthusiast “bumped” himself! Although the boundary follows the middle of the lane, it was soon found that the name was a befitting one, and the outside hedge was deemed to be more convenient to walk along till Starch Grove was reached, round three sides of which the boundary runs, and thence to the brook separating Morley Grove from Black Fan.
On arriving back at the locked gate, where the party had started 5 1/2 hours previously, the vicar made some remarks explanatory of the old custom of beating the bounds, and congratulated all who had completed the long walk – roughly reckoned at about ten miles – and after cheers had been given for the Chairman of the Parish Council (Rev C E Hornby), the vicar, Mr H Baker, and the Assistant Overseer (Mr H W Doyle), the party separated.