Students at Oaklands who have disabilities and are encouraging readers to help
Join the Mayor Cllr Chris Oxley, in the traditional ‘Beating Of The Bounds’ ceremony on Sunday 9 May starting at 2pm at Kingsbury Mill, St Michael’s village, St Albans. Everyone is welcome to come along, but anyone with a disability is especially welcome.
This year the Mayor has decided that the focus of the event will be for people with a disability, and the charities which will benefit from the sponsorship will be Hertfordshire Action on Disability (HAD) or your favourite local charity for people with a disability. It is suggested that sponsorship is for sections of the route as well as the whole 4.5 miles, so that all can be included. Sponsor forms can be obtained from The Mayor’s Civic Officer via e-mail: Mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk or by phone 01727 819544.
HAD provide disability equipment, 24-hour transport, driving assessments and lessons and alternative therapies. Their mobile equipment lorry will be visiting St Albans City Centre the day after the walk - on May 10. HAD's Chairman of Fundraising Paul Bishop said: “It is great news that this event is encouraging disabled people.”
The Mayor comments “Those of us who are fit and well do not always appreciate the wish of others with disabilities to lead as normal a life as possible and to join in activities that we consider every day. This year all will have the opportunity to be involved and at the same time generate funds to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Do please get involved. Do encourage any disabled person you know to take part. Do seek sponsors to help local charities for the disabled.”
The event starts at the pudding stone by Kingsbury Mill in St Michaels village, St Albans. The walk covers a distance of roughly 4.5 miles and is expected to last approximately 2 hours. A plan of the boundary is shown on the map below.
Those who have no physical disability will follow the original route, but slight changes have been made to make an alternative route which will be wheelchair-friendly, to ensure those with physical disabilities can participate.
The walk will follow the ancient boundary as closely as possible, but modern St Albans has been built up over a vastly greater area than in medieval times, so nowadays the line of the ancient boundary often runs across peoples’ gardens and even through the houses. The route will therefore use the roads and footpaths, which run as near to the boundary as possible, but not necessarily on it.
The ‘bounds’ will be beaten at four points and the Mayor's Chaplain Jenny Dyer, will say a short prayer:-
• The Pudding Stone, Kingsbury Mill
• Boundary mark near the Jolly Sailor Public House
• Keyfield Car Park, Old London Road
• River Ver, the bridge adjacent to the Fighting Cocks, Verulamium Park
The tradition is thought to have started in the mid 13th century when the town boundaries were fixed and the Tonman ditch was dug to provide a defence. It was to the advantage of both the Abbot and the burgesses (townspeople with their own property), to maintain this boundary against the threat of attack. (Despite this St Albans was attacked and burnt on several occasions: after the death of John in 1216 and twice during the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century).
Following a riot by the townspeople against the authority of the Abbot, the Abbot and twenty-four burgesses walked around the town boundary in 1327 in order to confirm a clear boundary. This became known as the ‘beating of the bounds’ ceremony and was done to impress upon the townspeople, the boundaries of the town and the privileges they were entitled to. Although the Townspeople did obtain some freedoms, these were later quashed.
Today we celebrate the medieval townspeople who fought for the rights we all take for granted today.
Cllr Chris Oxley, The Right Worshipful the Mayor of St Albans City & District.
Contact for the Mayor’s office:
Alison Orde, the Mayor’s Civic Officer
Tel: 01727 819544 E-mail: Alison.orde@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the press:
Davina Mansell, Information and Communication Officer
Tel: 01727 819316. E-mail: davina.mansell@stalbans.gov.uk
St Albans City and District Council
www.stalbans.gov.uk