THESE people walking through Oxford carrying sticks are taking part in a tradition which dates back to Anglo Saxon times.

“Beating the bounds” is an ancient tradition where people walk around the boundaries of their parish to pray for it. During the ritual they hit boundary stones with sticks.

The ceremony had an important practical purpose. Checking the boundaries was a way of preventing encroachment by neighbours; sometimes boundary markers would be moved, or lines obscured.

Yesterday parishioners from the city’s municipal church St Michael at the North Gate walked through the centre of Oxford.

Rev Bob Wilkes, the city rector, said: “I think we probably had about 80 people come out with us. We make it an opportunity to offer prayer for the life of the city in all its aspects including waste collection and medical research.”

Due to the development of Oxford’s city centre some of the boundary stones are now in unusual places such as the store room of clothes shop Zara and in the middle of Marks & Spencer.