Walkers wanted to ‘Beat the Bounds’ of Congleton

To celebrate 750 years since Congleton received its first charter, Congleton Town Council are looking for 750 people – one person for every year since the 1272 Charter was granted - to walk the towns settlement boundary!

The historic walk will take place on Sunday 10th April 2022. Beating the Bounds is an old tradition of checking that the boundaries are intact!

There is a choice of a 9.9 mile circular walk which roughly follows the bounds of the town using footpaths and Rights of Way paths or a more accessible 4.5 mile route with no steps or muddy paths! Both walks will set off from Moss Lane near its entrance with Manchester Road. The town mayor and town crier will start the walk at 10am with horses and riders in medieval dress.

Jackie MacArthur, Communities and Marketing Manager at Congleton Town Council said: “We have 750 places for 750 walkers, make it a family affair and take in Congleton’s beautiful countryside views. You can book your place through the Information Centre in the Town Hall or through PayPal on the town council's 750 web page:

www.congleton750.org.

It costs just £1 to enter, with the entry fee going to the Congleton Town Mayor’s Charities. If you would like to raise money for charity, why not use this event to achieve your fund raising. You can also walk it just for fun, on the day or in your own time.”

On Sunday 10 April there will be checkpoints and marshals along the route and refreshments and facilities available at Congleton High School who are raising funds for the Georgia Leigh Ogden Foundation. A map of the walk can be viewed electronically on the town council 750 web page and will be given to all signed up participants along with a wristband. There is no minimum or maximum age for walkers! Responsible adults must be accountable for children under 16 at all times.

Reflecting on the ancient customs of ‘Beating the Bounds’ Congleton Town Mayor, Cllr Denis Murphy explains: “In medieval times, pinching a bit of your neighbour’s land was as heavily frowned upon as it is today. The practice of recognising boundaries through ceremonies is an old one. For the purpose of our 750 celebration walk, we had to take a pragmatic approach to the boundary! Historically, Congleton was part of the parish of Astbury, so that historic measure no longer matches the present day boundaries. The real Congleton town boundary runs through housing estates, private land and some areas that are inaccessible to walkers! Instead, we aim to capture the sentiment of the day. I hope we can get as many people as possible to take part in this fantastic event.”

The Beating the Bounds walk is one of the first ‘750’ events of the year. For information about 750 year events or to purchase 750 merchandise visit the Congleton Information Centre in the Town Hall.

For more information contact Congleton Town Council on: 01260 270350 or see:

www.congleton750.org