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Runnymede, Berkshire

The Magna Carta, a series of concessions wrung out of King John in 1215 by his rebellious barons, is sometimes referred to as the acorn out of which the mighty oak of law and liberty grew. Attention is often drawn to the passage that reads: "No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned... or in any other way destroyed... except by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay, right or justice." (Section 29) The American Bar Association has built a memorial to the signing of the Magna Carta, and a memorial to President Kennedy at Runnymede, in honour of such sentiments. An oak has been planted at the site using soil from Jamestown Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the United States. This commemorates the American Bicentenary.

Some historians question the revolutionary status of the Magna Carta, suggesting that other charters from France and Germany were claiming the same rights at about the same time. It is also suggested that an embittered lawyer, removed from his position by King James the First in 1616, resurrected and amplified the importance of the document. He did this to try and undermine the royal power which had lost him his job. The barons themselves who drew up the Magna Carta were not attempting a revolution but were harking back to rights they felt they'd enjoyed in the time of Edward the Confessor, hundreds of years previously. But we have no idea what those rights might have been because they weren't written down. That is the crucial thing. For the first time, in British history at least, rights of individuals in the face of the powers-that-be were written down. Whatever the truth about Magna Carta's ultimate status it remains a mile stone in the formulation of British law, and by extension American law.

The park of Runnymede near Windsor is a lovely place to reflect on this step along the long road to modern conceptions of justice and liberty. It's also a place to reflect on how winding that road can be. The original English settlers in the New World, commemorated at Runnymede, tended to be religious fundamentalists. This wasn't so true of the Jamestown settlers, who were often there for financial reasons, but it was true of the Puritan settlers who moved into New England in the 1620s. These were people who wanted to be free to live a life that was more proscriptive than the life they were allowed to live in lax old England. They wanted to be free to be less free. Liberty is a strange concept, and perhaps it is fitting that the whole idea is difficult to pin down. In spite of memorials there is no one place where freedom emerged. Liberty just won't be limited in such a way. It blows like the wind through the columns of the Magna Carta memorial. It was a pretty cold wind the day we were there.

Opening Times: Runnymede is owned by the National Trust and is open to visitors every day. Closed 24th - 26th December and only open 11am - 3pm 1st January.

There is a network of footpaths, guided walks, a programme of special events, a tea room, and a small shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions: By road come off the M25 at exit 13 onto the A308. Go past the Runnymede Pleasure Ground and the site of the memorial will be on your left. The turning into the car park didn't seem to be very well signposted. Look out for these two buildings, housing the teashop and gift shop, as a guide to your turning. Runnymede lies three miles east of Windsor. The nearest railway station is Egham, half a mile from Runnymede. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map cented on Runnymede.

 

 

 

Access: for the disabled there is limited designated parking, an adapted toilet, and a Braille guide. The walk to the memorial is over grass.

Contact: 01784 432891.