A COUNCILLOR is planning to beat the bounds of Mevagissey on Saturday (June 15).

Cornwall councillor James Mustoe is inviting others to join him as he sets out from St George’s Square in the village at 9am.

Cllr Mustoe said: “Every year, I like to do some sort of interesting walk and this year I'm going to return to an idea I was thinking of for 2022 before I hurt my leg – beating the bounds of Mevagissey parish.

“In the days before maps were commonly available, beating the bounds served as an important tradition in local parishes, where civic representatives from the parish walked the entirety of the parish boundaries annually to preserve an oral memory of the boundaries.

“This served to not only help people remember where the boundaries lay but was also a useful check-up to see if any other parishes had taken liberties and annexed things that they shouldn't have.

“Apparently, they'd also take young people to ensure the memories were passed down through the generations, and ‘whip’ them at certain waymarked points to ensure they remembered.

“The beating the bounds tradition continues in some places. I've seen one at Probus, for example, but I've never seen it in in my lifetime in Mevagissey.”