The Mayor of St Albans is set to lead an ancient tradition with a procession along the boundaries of the city.

The Beating the Bounds ceremony will take place on Sunday May 12, with everyone welcome to join in.

Mayor Cllr Anthony Rowlands will lead the procession as it follows the perimeters of St Albans.

The walk will start at 2pm at the puddingstone in front of Kingsbury Mill in St Michael’s Village.

This ceremony has a history dating almost 700 years to 1327, with participants following a 4.5-mile trail around the edges of the city.

Throughout the event, participants will use willow wands to beat the ground at significant locations.

The walk will take around two hours and everyone who completes it will be given a Beating the Bounds certificate.

In the past, the ceremony was used for people to pass on knowledge of where the city’s boundaries lay and assert their rights as citizens.

The mayoress, Annie Stevenson, will accompany the procession, alongside deputy mayor, Cllr Josie Madoc and her husband Rhys.

Tour guide Elizabeth Eastwood will take on the role of town crier and the mayor’s macebearer John Hills will also be in attendance.

Cllr Rowlands said: "I have been looking forward to this occasion since becoming mayor a year ago.

"It will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of my civic year, which has had All Ages Together as its theme."

"Beating the Bounds is a wonderful, inclusive event, open to all the generations and I would urge people to join us.

"In doing so, they will be keeping alive a St Albans tradition that dates back centuries.

"Not only will we be connecting with our past, but we will also have a lot of fun along the way."

The ceremony's roots lie in a medieval rebellion against church authority.

In 1327, following a town riot against the Abbot, 24 citizens walked around the town to define its boundaries.

They declared that their rights and freedoms within this area should be respected, and their action has been celebrated since with the Beating the Bounds ceremony.