| Where: | Formerly at Lichfield, Stafffordshire at the Cathedral Close |
| When: | Formerly on Ascension Day |
| Time: | Formerly at 10.15 |
Ascension Day was a popular choice for parish boundary marking customs and in Lichfield a ceremony took place in the Cathdral Close. The houses all had greenery pushed through their letter boxes in the morning; this was followed by a procession of choir ,clergy and children carrying branches who walked around the Cathedral. At set points prayers were said,then the branches were dipped in the font. This custom lapsed in recent years and as yet there are no plans to revive it.
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Great website. I hope to email more and comment on suggestions of sites and have a general discussion, but I was doing a bit more research on this custom before going and had the following reply from the cathedral: “The Precentor responds: So far as I am aware, there is no plan to beat the bounds this Ascension Day, or any other day.” So it appears not be going on unless you have more concrete evidence.
Hi Ross!
Many thanks for the helpful info – this is just the kind of response I’ve been hoping for! What a shame the custom seems to be moribund now after surviving for so long. However, is really useful to know as there is no point in hopeful spectators like us turning up when nothing is due to happen. I tried making contact a few months ago but hadn’t had a reply so well done for finding out.
I was busy at Barwick Maypole Raising, Castleton Garland and Arbor Day this past weekend – videos to follow soon. Maybe we’ll see you at another event in due course!