Beating the Bounds

From the collection of

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia
The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.

Beating the Bounds


Each Spring, David Ainsworth Rector of Sidestrand walks the boundaries of his parish during rogation week to Beat the Bounds; a custom to encourage fruitfulness of the fields. However, keeping the tradition is no easy feat, as navigating by an ancient map, the current landscape has changed. To trace the exact course of the boundary, the Rector has to hitch up his cassock to climb through a parishioner’s window, tackle steep cliff drops and thumb a ride on a passing crab boat!


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