Beating the Bounds was an annual ceremony held in Scarborough to mark the boundaries and protect them against invasion. It helped people memorise the town's limits before maps were commonly available. This ceremony was handed down through the generations to ensure legal responsibility for land and property was remembered. Willow sticks were used to beat the route. A re-enactment was held in 2002 by the Scarborough Archaeological & Historical Society.
For more information see https://www.sahs.org.uk/Publications-of-the-Scarborough-Archaeological-and-Historical-Society.html​
