Beating the bounds in August 1950
Image from D Denchfield, part of the Images of North Mymms collection
The North Mymms Way
North Mymms Parish now has its own long-distance footpath – The North Mymms Way. It’s 11.8 miles long (19 km) with 768 ft (234m) total ascent.
The free leaflet and download have been produced by North Mymms Parish Council thanks to a Parish Paths Partnership grant funded by Hertfordshire County Council and with assistance from the Countryside Management Service.
The North Mymms Way follows, as closely as possible using public footpaths, a bridleway, byways, permissive paths, and quiet lanes, the boundary of our historic parish of North Mymms in south Hertfordshire, which is referred to as ‘Mimmine’ in the Domesday Book.
This walk was designed, mapped, and published in 2011 by local resident, David Brewer, the founder and editor of Hertfordshire Walker, a site which offers more than 220 free walks for people to download and enjoy.
The idea of North Mymms Way came to David as he was writing an article for The North Mymms History Project about a centuries-old tradition called ‘Beating The Bounds‘.
That route, last walked in the 1990s, involved a 17.5 mile community walk along the parish boundary to visit, and ceremonially claim on behalf of the parish, various landmarks along the way.
Unlike the original route of Beating The Bounds, which followed the actual parish boundary and crossed private land, The North Mymms Way keeps to footpaths, byways, and lanes.
The route, which is available online as walk number 22 on Hertfordshire Walker has now been published as a free leaflet by North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC).
That leaflet is embedded below and is available at several locations around the parish, including the council offices in Welham Green, Brookmans Park library, Potterells Medical Centre, and various pubs and community meeting places.
If you decide to do the walk you should allow four to five hours and take refreshments, although the route does pass pubs, cafes, and shops along the way. Good walking boots are recommended, and you will walk some paths which can be muddy at certain times of the year.
The leaflet can be found by clicking on the attachment below.
