Atworth History Group’s 2019 Boundary Walk

Sixteen intrepid walkers set off from Pie Corner in Atworth to walk the length of the Atworth parish boundary on Saturday 5th October. 

The group report, “This is the 7th time the walk has been organised by the Atworth History Group; the first being in 1992 when Professor Dowdeswell, then chairman, decided to “beat the bounds” of Atworth. Subsequently, walks took place in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and, of course, 2019.

“On this occasion we walked the boundary in an anticlockwise direction, so after a couple of miles we came to Bath Road at Neston Lodge where David Webb showed the group a plaque that had been erected in 1993 to commemorate the first boundary walk. We toasted Professor Dowdeswell and those first walkers with a paper cup of bubbly, before heading on our way.

“The weather was kind to us, and despite the recent heavy rain we found the going fairly easy. Jim Gooding had done an earlier reconnaissance of the route and thoughtfully made sure there were the means to get over walls and ditches. His wife, Christine, followed our progress by car and met us each time we crossed a road to offer refreshments, or a lift home to anyone unable to continue. I’m sure all the walkers would like to thank Jim and Christine for the hard work they put in to make the day a great success.

“The parish boundary doesn’t follow public footpaths, so the Atworth History Group would like to thank all the land owners and farmers who gave permission for us to walk over their land.

“Despite having to cross a ploughed field shortly before the end, we completed the 11 miles in good spirits and look forward to beating the bounds of Atworth again in a few years time.”

Above: The Intrepid Walkers and supporters