Walking in Redbourn

On Rogation Sunday, the Parish Council organises a traditional 15 mile walk around the village boundary. This annual walk is know as "Beating the Bounds", and this year (2011) it was led by Kate Bretherton. The participants pictured above enjoyed the beautiful views of the Redbourn countryside and a picnic lunch.

Beating The Bounds 1927

Beating The Bounds 2009

Sunday 17 May at 10pm

Meeting point: Harpenden Lane Roundabout

Enjoy the beautiful views of the Redbourn countryside!

Don’t feel you have to walk the whole route (approximately 17 miles). This year we will be stopping at The Hollybush PH at lunchtime, and people can join or leave the walk at this point. From Harpenden Lane to The Hollybush is 5/6 miles. The complete walk takes all day and ends at approximately 6.15 pm at the Chequers Roundabout.

JOIN IN, GET SOME EXERCISE AND RAISE MONEY TO BUY A POOL TABLE AND OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR REDBOURN RECREATION CENTRE. SPONSORSHIP FORMS AVAILABLE FROM REDBOURN WEBSITE (Form at Beating the Bounds Page), RECREATION CENTRE OR THE PARISH COUNCIL OFFICE. GET YOURS NOW!

Organised by Redbourn Parish Council

FURTHER INFORMATION: 01582 794832

Beating the Bounds, Redbourn 2006

The mediaeval tradition of walking around the boundary of the Parish was revived sometime in the 1950’s and has been honoured, off-and-on, ever since. This year was no exception, and on Rogation Sunday, May 21st, some eleven locals and two energetic dogs set out at nine o’clock from the roundabout on Harpenden Lane to continue the custom.

This is no mean undertaking. The boundary route, following established footpaths as far as possible but crossing private land (with permission), is some 16 or 17 miles of dogged rural Hertfordshire. It has only two, widely-spaced “comfort stations”, touches the edges of burnt-out Buncefield, crosses and re-crosses the building works of the M-1 motorway, and negotiates fences where styles have disappeared. Moreover, it was raining almost continuously. In my experience, it always rains when Rogation Sunday is late in the year. In the ecclesiastical calendar, this Sunday is the 5th after Easter, so, like Easter, it is late this year.

The first “comfort station” was the transept of St Marys Church where wet and bedraggled walkers were kindly welcomed and revived with hot tea. Understandably, some folk, and one dog, terminated their walk here. They had creditably done over six muddy miles unrelieved by the usual joy of the bluebells and stitch wort of Rabbitfield Spring wood. Unexpectedly they were replaced by some new comers. So it was still a substantial group that negotiated roads around Buncefield and eventually found the second welcome sanctuary at Redbournbury Mill.

A few more folk, wet and honourably tired, called it a day here. But six survivors, including Hubbie, the tiny mud-stained terrier, continued. They took a slightly shorter route home and saw a buzzard hunting beyond Dolittle Mill. As veterans, they took leave of each other on the Nicky line and all received a small un-inscribed medallion by courtesy of the Parish Council. Care was taken to present a “medal” to Hubbie, who wore it on a ribbon around his neck with pride. He, like his owner and his friends, had earned it !

W.S.Pierpoint

See Also: Footpaths Around Redbourn Redbourn Parish Council Redbournbury Mill