Today both Rosemary and I took the day off to Beat the Bounds. We met up with fellow beaters at Gallows hill at 9.00 am. There were 63 of us, and all 63 completed the 15-mile walk.
We followed the boundary fairly accurately, resulting in us climbing over many fences and going through peoples gardens where their property was on the parish border. There was one farm where only 6 people followed the actual boundary, this was the result of a confrontation with the farmer seven years before, where he appeared with a shot gun.
On the way round we re-vitalised the cross marks on various trees with an axe. We beat with a spade various people in the group, and various school children from the local school (who naturally insisted their headmaster got beaten, which was done).
It was a magnificent walk, the sun shone, the company was good. I saw places in and around Grendon Underwood I have never seen before. Magnificent bluebell woods, oak trees and views of the Vale. On the way around we saw MonkJack, Foxes, and a Badger Set.
There will be pictures of the walk posted here within a month.