Having fun during Beating the Bounds

'Beating the Bounds' is a Devonshire folkloric tradition, which originally served the purpose of reinforcing parish boundaries in Bronze Age Dartmoor. Although the boundaries were enshrined in written documents, the mainstay of the illiterate population resorted to annually treading the borders of the parish boundaries to teach and remind children of the limits of their homestead. As parish borders determined (over other things), the agricultural land and crop yield, boundaries were jealously guarded. So severely were the delineating 'Boundstones' enforced, that elder members would whip and even bounce the heads of children on the stones to ensure that they would not stray from the path. Although the need to guard parish boundaries is no longer required in more recent times, the tradition is nevertheless still maintained. Parishioners still congregate on a certain day, and walk the boundaries of the parish. Children might also lay their heads on the Boundstone, and receive a penny for their troubles. 'Beating the Bounds' functions now as more of a local celebration, and includes a Fayre, with good food and activities like sports days and boulder climbing competitions.