Beating the Bounds, St. Michael's of the North Gate, Oxford

The  members of St. Michael's of the North Gate, Oxford, have beaten the bounds of their parish on May 1st, for the past 600 years. The priest blesses the inhabitants of the buildings holding the boundary stones, and the people tap the marking stones with willow rods. The annual reminder keeps the perimeter from moving or being forgotten. In the past, the lines were used to gather and distribute local taxes.