What is Helston's Beating the Bounds annual tradition?

Once again, a group of people - both young and old stood in a line to have their heads banged three times on bounds across the town. 

The annual Beating of the Bounds ceremony is a centuries-old ritual that brings the community together and celebrates the town’s unique history.

For years, school children, locals, RNAS Culdrose and Helston Town Council have taken part in the Beating the Bounds – but what does it involve?

Participants walk around the town to the ancient bounds which are inscribed with the initials HB (Helston Boundary).

This year, heads were banged at bounds located at the Lowertown Junction (on the Redruth Road), and at RNAS Culdrose.

The modern-day ritual is largely unchanged and involves a sod of turf being cut and placed on top of the granite marker stone.

The bounds can be seen all over Helston (Image: Helston Town Council)

Members of the group are then lifted one by one into a horizontal position before having their heads gently banged on the turf-covered stone three times.

Due to the large number of stones around Helston, only one-third are beaten each year.

Helston town and Cornwall councillor Mike Thomas explained more about the quirky ritual. He said: “It’s connected to Rogation Sunday, where the hope is to bless all the crops and encourage better growth.

Councillor John Boase (left) helps with the ceremony in 2018 at RNAS Culdrose

“Helston’s tradition is associated with showing youngsters where the boundaries of the town are.

“Legend has it that children would be taking to the boundary to show them how far safely they could go.”

With one of the bounds located nearby to the RNAS Culdrose base, personnel took time out to join in with the festivities.

An RNAS Culdrose spokesperson said: “Two of the marker stones stand within the wire at the air station and Royal Navy sailors were pleased to join in this quaint tradition.”