Beating the Bounds - 2010

Ecclesiastical Parish
Of
Christleton
comprising
The Five Townships of
Christleton, Cotton Abbotts, Cotton Edmunds, Littleton and Rowton

The Reverend Canon. K Peter Lee. M.A.
Rector

.

A Brief Account of the
Perambulation of the Parish Bounds
And the names of those who completed the circuit on
Rogation Sunday May 9th 2010
The previous perambulation took place on June 4th 2000

The ancient Beating of the Parish Bounds ceremony took place on Rogation Sunday May 9th 2010. It was a glorious day. 109 people were present at the start of the walk, and there were 70 finishers at the old Glass House. This ceremony is a mix of old traditions where the people of a village walked around the boundary of their Parish and the minister blessed the farming community, the land, crops and animals. Younger members of the community were bumped on boundary stones to remind them where their township or parish boundaries were.

The children bumped;
Isobel Holland, Sophie Brown, Daniel Brown, Emily Bolton, Thomas Gibson.

The walk took in the boundaries of the townships of Christleton, Rowton, Cotton Abbotts, Cotton Edmunds and Littleton, and we are indebted to the farmers and landowners who allowed us to cross their land, and use their facilities, including; Stewart Arden, The Handley Family, Mr & Mrs Richard Fitton, Edward Walley & Barbara Cummins, Mr & Mrs Nigel Hill, Mr & Mrs Colin Pickering, Mr & Mrs Spofforth, Mr & Mrs Peter Wigley.
The walk was led by Roger Croston, David Cummings, John Carruthers and Huw Morgan who had previously surveyed each section. Roger also swam the canal at Rowton to continue another tradition which has taken place on each previous Beating Ceremony. The Rector Reverend Canon K Peter Lee led the Service, conducted the Prayers at appropriate points and supervised the bumpings. St James’ Tower Bellringers rang a Quarter Peal to celebrate the occasion as the walkers set off on their 10 1/2mile route.

The Bell Ringers;
Nikki Dromgoole, Pauline Cook, Betty Harries, Rev Brian Harries, Ian Braithwaite, Steven Everett

10.00am Prayers. A short service was conducted by the Rector, The Rvd.Canon K Peter Lee outside the church
Porch. The bumping of choir member Isobel Holland took place on the CP-LT 1847 Boundary Stone.
10.15am. The Walkers crossed the A41 to The old Glass House.
10.20am. Prayers & bumping of Daniel Brown on the Christleton/Boughton Boundary Stone.
A token group walked through the house which marks the Parish Boundary
10.30am The walk continued across the fields, passing the Abbotts Well, went under the A55 slip road and via
Caldy Brook towards Saighton.
11.15am Prayers were said on the Christleton/Saighton Boundary at Caldy Brook
The route then crossed meadow land alongside the brook, and headed across fields at the back of
Saighton Camp, and along Ridges Lane to the boundary stone on the Saighton/Waverton Road.
12.30pm The walkers then followed the Waverton -Saighton Road until they reached the A41. This was crossed in
an amazing gap between busy traffic, and the walk continued past Old Waverton Post Office to Egg
Bridge in Waverton where we were met by lots of supporters and Jim & Pat Hawkes, our back up crew,
with supplies of water. A token party crossed the field towards Elm Bank in Rowton visited on previous
walks but missed out on this occasion in order to find a safer crossing of the A41.
1.15pm The Bumping of Thomas Gibson took place at the Rowton/ Christleton 1645-1995 Boundary Stone,
and Roger Croston swam across the canal at this point.
The walk continued from Egg Bridge into Foxes Lane where Prayers were said and the bumping of
Sophie Brown took place on the Rowton/Christleton/Waverton Boundary Stone. The route continued
along Capesthorne Road, across Brown Heath Road and past Dolly Peg Hall to Cotton Abbotts Farm.
We passed the Christleton/ Waverton Boundary stone at the back of Greenfield Crescent, but tried to
make up lost time by cutting out prayers at this point, as the group were very well spread out.
1.45pm Prayers at Cotton Abbotts Farm. A refreshment stop was made with drinks kindly supplied by
Edward Walley. We continued across fields towards the Crocky Trail/Toilets and to our Lunch Stop at
The Amphitheatre.
2.30pm. The walk Continued via the footpath alongside the Crocky Trail to the brook where a Bumping took
place on the Waverton / Christleton /Cotton Abbotts Township Boundary Stones.
Children bumped; Isobel Holland & Tom Gibson
2.35pm At this point Nigel Hill led the walk across farmland to the Gowy and through water meadows and
cropfields to Cotton Farm where Prayers were said, and we had afternoon tea and refreshments.
A small group of the children also bottle fed some new born lambs.
3.00pm. The walk continued down the lanes to Hockenhull Platts and the Roman Bridges for Prayers
on the Christleton /Tarvin Boundary.
3.40pm. The walkers then headed north across fields and the water meadows alongside the River Gowy to
Stamford Mill. Prayers and bumping did not take place due to a diversion of the route and the
boundary stone had disappeared from its position in 2000.
5.00pm Huw Morgan then led the walk via Green Lane, Stamford Hollows, and Fir Tree Lane to Littleton. This
section had been re routed from previous walks for safety reasons, and followed the inner
Littleton/Christleton Parish boundary. It was an excellent route walking in leafy lanes with lots of bird
song.
5.30pm. Littleton. Prayers were said at The Crossroads. The walk continued along Pearl Lane west towards the
footpath alongside the A41 Ring Road.
5.45pm The Bumping of Emily & Ted Bolton took place on the Christleton/Boughton Boundary Stone on the
north side of the A41 which had been left out during the morning due to problems with road works
caused by gas pipes being put in along the route we were to have taken.
5.49pm 70 finishers arrived at the Old Glass House where final Prayers were led by The Rector Rev Canon K
Peter Lee & a speech of thanks to all given by David Cummings, before everyone celebrated with
wonderful refreshments kindly provided by Mr & Mrs Peter Wigley continuing a family tradition started
by Ames & Elisabeth Hellicar that has taken place after each of the preceding Beating of the Bounds
since 1953.

The Walkers.
Those who completed the 10 1/2miles
David Cummings, Beryl Cummings, John Carruthers, Rector K Peter Lee, Fiona Lee, Ian Davies
Jan Bowden, David Bowden, John Pearson, June Pearson, Susan Robson, Isobel Holland, Al Holland Jo Hartley, Gillian Brackenbury, Edward Elliott, Valmai Griffiths, Jenny Davies, Anne Large
John Stockdale, Anne Stockdale, Edwin Stockdale, Keith Smalls, Karen Smalls, Eric Kenyon
Jocelyn Platel, Chris Platel, Barbara Mercer, David Mercer, Roger Croston, Lesley Morgan,
Huw Morgan, Liz Brown, Janet Brown, Gill Brown, Dave Matthews, Mike McGarva,
Judy McGarva, Katy McGarva Peter Wigley, Minna Wigley, Suzie Eagar, Catriona Levitt,
Matthew Davenport, Megan Gibson, Clare Gibson, Thomas Gibson, Ian Gibson, Ann Wareing,
Nicky Bolton, Brendon Bolton, Emily Bolton, Ted Bolton, Joe Dilworth, Nigel Hill,
Simon Thompson, Jean Cresswell, Derek Bell, Wendy Bell, David Roberts, Alan Brown,
Jenny Brown, Sophie Brown, Angela Oliver, Clive Oliver, Malcolm White, Judith White,
Matthew Dunford, Issac Dunford, Edward Dunford,

Also took part.
Daniel Brown, John Eccles, Liz Evans, David Evans, Brenda Bailey, Alf Croston, Margaret Croston, Nicola Dromgoole, Matthew Hoyland, Mike Hoyland, Martin Thompson, Anna Thompson,
Jenny Thompson, Hazel Thompson, Charles Smeatham, Natalie Mills, Clive Jones, Sue Massie,
Sheena Kumisky, Michael Eagar, Cynthia Siddall, Zac Hirst, Laurence Hirst, Phil Hirst,
Rebecca Tall, Renee Stalker, Baby Clive Dunford, Prem Dunford, Lynne Coles, Ken Coles,
Joanna Mc Garva Brown, Isabella McGarva Brown, Edward McGarva Brown, Patricia McGarva.
Caroline Holland, Toby Holland.
Swam the Canal. Roger Croston.
Back up Vehicle. Pat & Jim Hawkes.
DVD Filming. Judy Smith.
Logo. Phil Hodges.
Organiser; David Cummings.