Bound Stone

THE T/ST BOUND STONE
By Alan Watkins

Which also includes an introduction into Beating the Bounds (Bumps, Brambles, Finger-pulling, Pools, Switching & etcetera) plus a brief look at Rayboro’ Pool, which is to blame for all this!

I first visited Rayboro’ Pool (spelt Raybarrow) on August 2nd in 1997 setting-out from Shilstone Tor on a walk that would take-in Throwleigh Common, Blackaton Brook, ‘The pool’, Little Hound Tor and Kennon Hill. Initially though, having encountered thick mist on Throwleigh Common, my day out did not look too promising at all but, after spending some time ensconced on the common enveloped in a stubborn damp gloom, patience prevailed and matters eventually took a turn for the better. Almost miraculously the mist suddenly started to slowly lift, the sunshine peeked through, and I was able to restart my planned walk. By the way for anyone who has never experienced a Dartmoor mist I can assure you that, one way or another, it can be a memorable experience. Almost complete silence and stillness, drifting and all-enveloping murk, and an apparent temporary absence of wildlife - Uncanny really and not to be missed (sorry, I was unable to resist that one!). Anyway with the aid of the now rapidly improving weather I was soon able to begin enjoying the remainder of the day and my first visit to this lovely part of the northern moor. Whenever possible I have made a number of return visits (although probably not anywhere near enough!) and in doing so have been able to locate and photograph many of the area’s features and artefacts, my sketch of one of the latter - the ‘T/ST Bound Stone’- is reproduced above. Now why have I chosen this particular stone as a subject? Well being possibly one of the earliest of the South Tawton parish Bound Stones - and sometimes referred to as ‘The Old South Tawton Bound Stone’- it was historic and, most importantly, it provided a good lead-in to another of my ‘Stones & Stories’ series, this time focusing upon ‘Beating the Bounds’. Anyway more on that subject and Rayboro’ Pool later. I have included the latter because it ‘directed me’, albeit somewhat circuitously, onward to the T/ST Stone, and also because, quite honestly, I am fascinated by the place. Anyhow, without further ado, here is my sketch together with some basic information pertaining to it.

It stands 1.67 metres (66 inches) high and averages 0.5 metre (20 inches) in width. As such it represents a striking (and slightly tilting) landmark in what is an open and relatively flat tract of the high moor attaining 470 metres (1541 feet) above sea-level. As bound stones go T/ST is one of my favourites (I enjoyed sketching it too). Location-wise it stands approximately 500 metres south-southwest of Rayboro’ Pool at OS Grid Reference SX 6371 8943 or, put another way, approximately 250 metres due east from the Whitmoor Stone, and delineates the southern-most limit of South

Tawton parish. Unsurprisingly therefore the more bold ‘ST’ = South Tawton, though the older but fainter ‘T’ is actually the original inscription with ‘ST’ being added at a later date in order to avoid any possible ambiguity with the adjoining parish of Throwleigh. Incidentally ‘our T/ST stone’ is the only South Tawton bound stone so marked for the others that remain in place carry just ‘ST’ (that is except for the ‘DC’ and ‘SZ’ stones to be found high on the northern slopes of Cosdon Hill, but these relate to another slightly different story which can remain untold for the time being).

‘Beating the Bounds

(and the need for Bound Stones)

In one form or another the custom of ‘Beating the Bounds’ has both existed and evolved in Britain for close on 2000 years with its origins in early (crop) fertility rites that in turn spread from Austria in the 4th Century AD, across continental Europe, to become well established in Britain by the 8th Century. The time of the year in which it (beating) has traditionally taken place is best defined as follows - “The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday immediately preceding Easter (or Rogation) Sunday. Springtime Days in which invocation of God’s blessing on the fields, flock, and herds are fitting”. In older (and more recent) times it was (is) marked by processions ‘beating (beding) the bounds, and praying, around the boundaries of the parish. Rogation being from the Latin “Rogare” - “to ask” (I have personal memories of 2 years of ‘baffling’ Latin lessons at school!). Tradition has it that the beating ceremony takes place every 7 or 10 years, sometimes being described as a mixture of community partying and sanctified ceremony. Of course in addition to blessing the crops & etcetera the procession was especially useful in showing people, especially the younger ones, where their parish boundaries lay for, in earlier times, before the advent of OS Maps for example, boundary lines were passed on purely by word of mouth. In such ways the ceremony evolved. Quite properly it was always led by the parish parson, accompanied by village worthies, and a whole throng of sundry parishioners both young and old. Once assembled the entourage would walk, or perambulate (hence ‘perambulation’), around the boundaries of the parish, pausing from time to time at certain bound marks, such as a pond, large tree, or rock, and of course custom-made bound stones, to enable the parson to preach and say a blessing. Usually the bound mark was then beaten with

specially prepared birch or willow sticks before moving on. Country-lore has it that quite liberal supplies of food and drink would often be in evidence the combination of which almost certainly resulted in an increasingly slower, and more boisterous, perambulation. Probably the number of people involved would also have lessened in direct proportion to the total amount of drink consumed. It was not all blessings and revelry though for the proceedings also included some surprisingly bizarre rituals that would most certainly not be tolerated by present-day politically correctness for, apart from the harmless beating of bound marks, adolescent boys were often ‘switched’ (beaten) with stripped willow wands and, sometimes, thrown over hedges, or into patches of brambles, or even into ponds. I trust that in the case of South Tawton parish none were thrown into Rayboro’ Pool! Younger boys certainly did not escape unscathed either for it was common practice to introduce them to each bound stone by holding them upside down and ‘bumping’ their heads on the stone. It did not end there though for as a variation they were sometimes made to finger touch a bound stone before then having their fingers and ears roughly pulled. All this to imprint the position of the bound mark in their memories. On the whole therefore it seems that a good day was had by one and all - Or some of them at least!

Unsurprisingly more recent ‘Beating the Bounds’ have been toned down somewhat although I believe that simulated head-bumping is still carried out. The last time South Tawton (partially) beat their bounds was in 2001 when, as far as I know, nothing more serious than filling the ST inscriptions on bound stones with white paint took place in order to emphasise the position of the parish’s boundaries to outsiders. I guess that a little drinking may well have also taken place. In the previous 1987 beating it is reported that ‘Belstone folk’ turned up with the intention of ensuring that one of their bound stones remained in place, however, instead of turning into a brawl, the confrontation resulted in the two sets of parishioners settling for a relatively peaceable rope tug-of-war across a nearby stream (I am unaware of the winner). All very civilised indeed in comparison to the wilder events of years gone by! I wonder what will transpire in 2008? I am not sure if ‘foreigners’ are invited though so we may have to await a report!

Rayboro’ Pool

For the aforementioned reasons I feel completely vindicated that my concluding paragraph is devoted to a short acclamation of Rayboro’ Pool for, from the time when I first visited it, I have come to regard it as one of Dartmoor’s ‘special places’. Converted from ‘Watkins-speak’ that represents remoteness, a wonderful air of loneliness and desolation, and above all, peace. It is the perfect setting in which to contemplate whatever takes one’s fancy really and to receive therapeutic re-invigoration. Several other remote Dartmoor pools, and almost every one of its river-heads, also possess the same qualities. To be honest I am under the spell of them all! Having made that slightly bold statement it must also be said that other people’s opinions can vary considerably. In “High Dartmoor” for example Eric Hemery describes it (the pool) as - -“fascinating in its beauty of desolation” whereas on his “Legendary Dartmoor” website Tim Sandles refers to it (the pool) as “probably the most heinous of them all - - a god forsaken place if I ever saw one”. It’s not that bad is it? I suspect that those of you have visited it may well have formed your own opinion. And finally Rayboro’ Pool has stories of its own but, for the time being anyway they too will be put on hold.