THE town council is inviting the Saltash community to step back in time and take part in the historic ‘Beating the Bounds’ walk on Saturday, October 11.

This five-mile community walk, which will begin at 10.30am from the bridleway next to Waitrose, will retrace the ancient parish boundaries, a tradition dating back to Anglo-Saxon times and mentioned in the laws of Alfred the Great.

The custom, which was once followed by an ale feast, brought together young and old to learn the bounds of their parish, while priests and church leaders offered prayers of protection and blessing.

Saltash has records of Beating the Bounds in 1871 and 1890, when the mayor and town clerk were “bumped” on the first and last stone – a ritual that will be revived during this year’s event.

The walk will take around four hours, passing through Moditonham Quay, Botus Fleming, Hatt and Notter Bridge. Along the way, walkers will visit five boundary stones, pausing at Notter Bridge for a rest, picnic or refreshments at the pub. Participants are encouraged to bring food and plenty of drinks.

After the walk, the group will travel by train from St Germans back to Saltash, where a cream tea will be served at Isambard House.

Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £1 for under-16s, which includes the cream tea but not the train fare. Booking is essential with tickets available from the Saltash Library Hub. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead.

A spokesperson for Saltash Town Council said: “Since the 1930’s, Saltash only ‘Beat the Bounds’ on special occasions like jubilees and coronation years. However, due to the popularity of the last few events, we’ve decided to make it an annual event again. For those of you who have never attended it, I recommend it, it’s a quirky, historic day out.”