HEDGING

an acient driving rite

On a croft in Yate, on the first day of June, a group of itinerant motorcyclists meet to perform an ancient rite known as hedging. Similar in act to the  'beating the bounds' , this driving ritual is used to delineate the county boundaries and thought to bless the by-ways for travellers that may follow in the coming year.  The practice of hedging is observed in many counties across the British Isles and can be dated to the early 8th century.  There is no set date,  countrywide for hedging,  although the milder months are often preferred.