In pictures: Hundreds of walkers take on annual Maidenhead Boundary Walk

A hundred more walkers than last year celebrated the centuries-old tradition of ‘beating of the bounds’ as they joined the annual Boundary Walk on Sunday.

The popular event, run by Rotary in Maidenhead, was kicked off by Town Crier Chris Brown from Boulters Lock car park at 9am.

Individuals and groups raised money for a range of charities as they walked either the traditional 13-mile path tracing the old Maidenhead Borough boundary, or the shorter 2.5-mile family friendly route.

The longer route saw walkers go through the scenic countryside around Maidenhead, while the shorter route took participants on a stroll around Boulters Lock Island, before they crossed the river to the Taplow side and headed back.

The Boundary Walk celebrates the ‘beating of the bounds’ tradition, which dates back to the creation of the original Borough of Maidenhead in 1582.

The last official ‘beating of the bounds’ took place in 1973, before being re-invented as the Boundary Walk by the Rotary more than 40 years ago in 1982.

This year, a total of 618 participants took on the walk, which is 100 more than last year, organisers revealed.

In total, 531 people did the full 13-mile walk, while 87 took on the shorter family-friendly route.

Maidenhead MP Josh Reynolds and RBWM mayor Mandy Brar also attended and joined in with the walk.

One hundred per cent of the sponsorship raised by individuals, schools or community groups goes towards their chosen charity.

So far, £20,000 has been raised for 47 different charities supported by the walkers, but organisers expect this total to increase.

The individual with the highest amount of sponsorship was Richard Poad with £1,500, supporting Maidenhead Heritage Centre and the Alzheimer’s Society.

The group with the most sponsorship was Berkshire Vision with £4,500.

The Rotary will also have raised approximately £3,000 for its chosen charities – Thames Hospice and Age UK Berkshire.

Cookham Dean Primary School came out on top as the group with the greatest number of participants, with 68 turning out for the walk.

In total, 63 volunteers contributed 227-and-a-half hours of service to the event, helping with everything from stewarding road crossings to manning checkpoints, registering walkers and providing refreshments. 

Lisa Hunter, co-project manager for the Boundary Walk, said: "Every year, we’re amazed by the number of people who come together to take part in the Boundary Walk.

"It’s wonderful to see families, schools, and community groups walking side by side, all raising money for causes close to their hearts. The generosity, effort, and spirit shown by both our walkers and volunteers truly make this event special.”