Folklore: Llantrisant Beating of the Bounds

Subject: Folklore: Llantrisant Beating of the Bounds
From: GUEST,Mick Tems
Date: 08 Jun 24 - 05:31 AM

Today is the 700-year-old tradition of Beating of the Bounds in Llantrisant! The Llantrisant freemen exercise their rights by marching from the Old Town, accompanied by a brass band, to the boundary stones where they impress on the memory of the youngest freeman of all by ‘bouncing’ him on the stone – that is, gently lifting him on the stone on his buttocks. Then they set off around the boundaries on Llantrisant, accompanied by thousands of marchers and the Llantrisant Mari Lwyd (the horse's skull.) The tradition takes place every seven years – and Olly and I are going to The Cross Inn in Cross Inn village, where the first ‘bouncing stone’ is located, in a house in a front garden. Wish us luck!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Llantrisant Beating of the Bounds
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 24 - 10:46 AM

https://www.llantrisant.net/index.php/freemen/beating-the-bounds/history-of-beating-the-bounds

And from rctcbc.gov.uk Important traffic and bus arrangements for Beating the Bounds event

Residents are advised about the temporary traffic and bus arrangements for the ‘Beating the Bounds’ event in Llantrisant this Saturday.

The event organiser Llantrisant Town Trust requires two separate road closures on Saturday, June 8 – outlined on the following map.

The first closure (8am-6pm) encompasses Swan Street, George Street, a section of High Street, Heol-y-Sarn and the Common Road (leading to Castellau road and Llantrisant Business Park access road).

Entry and access to Llantrisant Town Centre will be maintained via Heol Las and Heol-y-Beiliau for the duration of this closure.

The second closure (1pm-3pm) encompasses High Street (south-east of George Street to Cross Inn Road), along with Cross Inn Road, Main Road and Llantrisant Road.

South Wales Police will control the traffic movements as and when required along these routes during the closure.

There's more traffic info at that second link.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Llantrisant Beating of the Bounds
From: Mick Tems
Date: 09 Jun 24 - 11:19 AM

Saturday was really fabulous! Olly and I (and Blodwen the scooter) joined the freemen, the brass band, the Llantrisant Mari Lwyd and thousands of marchers, moving on down Llantrisant High Street and beyond the steep hill for the mile-long walk to The Cross Inn, where the first 'bouncing stone' was located in a house in a front garden. The marchers descended on The Cross Inn, and ordering pints at the bar was complete mayhem; landlord and landlady Martin and Cheryl coped magnificently.
We left the marchers at The Cross Inn, setting off through the boundaries of Llantrisant. One brilliant point - that morning, before we went off to the march, I heard the roar of jet engines and looked up - and there were The Red Arrows in formation, flying back from a event in the Isle of Man. What a sight!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Llantrisant Beating of the Bounds
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 Jun 24 - 06:37 PM

Sorry to nit-pick but the Llantrisant page only seem to date tradition from 1346, which is not quite '700 years' (unless my maths is slipping).We can probably look forward to an anniversary event in 2046 (if we are spared)
Here

This page gives the earliest recoding of beating the bounds as 1555

Subject: RE: Folklore: Llantrisant Beating the Bounds
From: Mick Tems
Date: 11 Jun 24 - 04:40 PM

The Llantrisant Freemen website actually says: "According to former Clerk Trefor Rees, the earliest recorded existence of Beating the Bounds in Llantrisant took place in 1555, although the ceremony has its origins back in the 9th century."

Subject: RE: Folklore: Llantrisant Beating of the Bounds
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 12 Jun 24 - 04:06 PM

Yes, that's the page I linked to, for the date of 1555.
The reference to the 9th century appears to be dating 'beating the bounds' (generally, not necessarily in Llantrisant)