Boyds Walk Antrobus

Part of a small circular walk around Antrobus Village area commonly known as the Boyd walk and part on an even bigger Cheshire LDW but cant remember what its called Doh! this section used to be part of a historical byway system. Lots of work has been done over the years by the Village community, landowners and Mersey Forest to fence areas off plant trees and wild flowers as you can see here the farmer has weed killed the path way so that walkers can see where to tread very considerate of him/her.

Boyd walk is named after Major AW Boyd who was an old style naturlist who wrote in the Manchester Guardian in its day. He did a lot of research during the 1930's and 1940's regarding an old custom being kept alive by Antrobus along the lines of carol singing an old version of trick or treating conducted around Halowene mainly 1st & 2nd November and called "Souling" .

The Souling used to consist of parties of children, dressed up in costume, who went round to the farm houses and cottages, singing a song and begging for cakes (Soul Cakes), apples, money, or anything that the wives would give them.' Soul Cakes themselves were small and round, made of a light dough, well spiced and sweetened, and as the children wandered from house to house they would chant rhymes at each door they came to:

Soul cake, apple or pear,
A plum and a cherry to make me merry.
One for Peter, one for Paul,
Give me an apple and I'll be gone.
Set down into your cellar and see what you can find;
I hope you will be kind, I hope you will be kind.
If you haven't got a penny, a halfpenny will do,
If you haven't got a halfpenny, God bless you!

Not he best tune to stick in your head......