Chesterfield Traditions

[Old Cruser]

I'm wondering how many more traditions we have in villeges or in the town.
From when I was youngone of ours and many others was to wallk from our vilage to Ashover Rock, although I'm not sure where this came from or why we did it.

This is one from the DT's


Residents of Holymoorside were led by the chairman of the parish council in the ancient custom of Beating the Bounds around their village.


Cllr Martin Thacker, chairman of Holymoorside and Walton Parish Council, revived the tradition four years ago by visiting each of the boundary’s eight marker stones.

This year he led a party representing a cross-section of people from the local community on the 14-mile route which took eight hours.

The walkers set off from Holymoorside Village Hall and visited each of the bouindary’s eight marker stones on a route which included Walton Wood, Walton Lees, Harewood Moor, Loads Head, Westwick and Brookside.

The youngest walker was nine-year-old Sam Truscott. Tradition has it that the head of the youngest member would be used to ‘beat the boundary stone’. However, there was a departure from tradition and Sam was invited to ‘beat’ each stone with a stick instead. visiting each of the boundary’s eight marker stones.

Cllr Thacker said: “I am so pleased that this tradition has become established in the Parish once more. The boundary walk has captured the imagination of the local community

[therealjr]

The Whit Walk (more accurately the Procession of the Witness) must count I would have thought. Been going for 40 odd years to my knowledge.


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[Old Cruser]

It's being going for a lot longer than that JR, but like me you maybe remember it as a child, so my memories go back over 60 years.

It was a big event back in the 50's for our family as Methodists we embraced the day.
As children my two brothers and I always had 'new clothes' for this day (even though only my dad worked and money was tight) as did many others.
I always joined the procession from start to finish and enjoyed the bun and pop at the end, in the grounds of the large house on Ankerbold Road in our village.

In the afternoon our family along with others from our village would take the bus into Clay Cross and watch by the kerbside as their procession took place.

Later on as an adult when my own daughter went to the same Chapel and took part in the procession, I helped out by holding a rope of the Banner on some occassions, not easy if it was a windy day and I felt sorry for the pole carriers who sometimes got so tired they had to change over half way through the walk.

Also there are the annual Well Dressings - a lot of hard work goes into them but don't they look fabulous once erected.
I'm not sure where the origin of those come from - are they Pagan? - Anybody?