The History of Runnymede

While other areas of England have laid claim to being the "heart of the country" Runnymede can be regarded as it's "soul" - for it was on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede Meadow that King John agreed to seal a great Charter in order to prevent a civil war. This charter is otherwise known as the Magna Carta.

Immediately before the meeting, the King was at Windsor Castle, while his rebel barons were encamped nearby at Staines. Runnymede lay halfway between and offered a wide, open area with ample space for each side's armies tents and horses. The rebellion of the barons forced King John to grant them protection from certain injustices, but in doing so, the Magna Carta embodied the principle that both the King and the barons were bound by law in the exercise of power, and this gave the Charter a far wider and enduring significance. The document we know as Magna Carta has for long been the most potent symbol of freedom under the law for Western Civilisation.

The principles and subsequent interpretations of this historic document have had a profound and significant influence on people’s rights and freedoms, not only in England but across large parts of the civilised world.

These principles were exported to the United States of America and it was the American Bar Association which erected the memorial on the site. This is maintained by the Magna Carta Trust whose Chairman is the Master of the Rolls, one of the leading figures in the English judicial system.

Today, the majority of the meadows beside the Thames belong to the National Trust and are visited by thousands of people throughout the year. The Thames is broad, calm and peaceful here; there is little commercial traffic on the river apart from cruise boats, and the varied attractions close at hand draw visitors from all over the world. Many come to see the Memorial commemorating the men and women of the Commonwealth Air Forces killed in World War II, who have no known grave. From its position on Coopers Hill, above the river, it commands splendid views over the Thames Valley. In the meadows below stands the Magna Carta Memorial set up by the American Bar Association and the Magna Carta Trust. Nearby, the Kennedy Memorial stands in its own acre of land, given by the people of Britain to the USA, honouring the memory of the assassinated President.