These legal customs are a mixture. The Beating of Bounds is unnecessary now because Ordnance Survey does the job for us, yet parishes and boroughs persist in doing it anyway, and some even feel the need to ‘revive’ the ritual. Courts Leet and Courts Baron once dealt with legal matters throughout the land but, though around 30 live on, most have been made redundant by successive legal reforms especially the Administration of Justice Act 1977. Lawyers love their processions of course but some processions happen for legal reasons. Bequests have to be carried out according to charity laws, auctions can still be held ‘to inch of candle’, dues and rents still have to be paid. And if you transgress you still have to be punished...