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Runnymede



 
 
Runnymede is a water-meadow
Water-meadow

A water-meadow is an area of grassland subject to controlled irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries....
 alongside the River Thames
River Thames

The Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Berkshire and Windsor, Berkshire....
 in the English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 county of Surrey
Surrey

Surrey is a counties of England in the South East England of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire....
, and just over west of central London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. It is notable for its association with the sealing of the Magna Carta
Magna Carta

Magna Carta , also called Magna Carta Libertatum , is an Kingdom of England legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin....
, and as a consequence is the site of a collection of memorials.

name Runnymede is used commonly now to refer to land in National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
 ownership in the Thames flood plain south-west of the river between Old Windsor and Egham.






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Encyclopedia


Runnymede is a water-meadow
Water-meadow

A water-meadow is an area of grassland subject to controlled irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries....
 alongside the River Thames
River Thames

The Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Berkshire and Windsor, Berkshire....
 in the English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 county of Surrey
Surrey

Surrey is a counties of England in the South East England of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire....
, and just over west of central London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. It is notable for its association with the sealing of the Magna Carta
Magna Carta

Magna Carta , also called Magna Carta Libertatum , is an Kingdom of England legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin....
, and as a consequence is the site of a collection of memorials.

Topography

The name Runnymede is used commonly now to refer to land in National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
 ownership in the Thames flood plain south-west of the river between Old Windsor and Egham. The area comprises Long Mede and Runnymede which together with Coopers Hill Slopes is managed by the National Trust, and Yard Mede.

The countryside is characterised as "Thames Basin Lowland" typified by gently rolling hills, ponds, meadows and woods. The National Trust area is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) which contains a Site of Special Scientific Interest. These are overseen by Runnymede Borough Council.

The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
 holding encompasses donated in 1929 by the first Lady Fairhaven and her two sons in memory of Urban Hanlon Broughton; and of broadleaved woodland on Coopers Hill Slopes given in 1963 by Egham Urban District Council. (In April 1974 the Council was subsumed within Runnymede Borough.)

Long Mede(Image 1) is a pleasant meadow north of the ancient 'mede' of Runnymede towards Old Windsor and has been used for centuries to provide a good quality hay from the alluvial pasture. Runnymede itself (Image 2) lies towards Egham and is associated popularly with Magna Carta Island (Image 3) although this is located on the far bank of the Thames. Both are popularly considered potential locations for the sealing of Magna Carta.

Near the Island, on the north-east flood plain in park land are Ankerwycke and the ruins of the 12th Century Priory of St Mary's. The Thames has changed course regularly and these areas may once have been an integral part of Runnymede and, except for Magna Carta Island, were acquired by the National Trust in 1998.

History

The name Runnymede may be derived from the Anglo-Saxon describing a place in the meadows or 'medes' used to hold regular meetings. The Witan, Witenagemot
Witenagemot

The Witenagemot or the Witena gemot , also known as the Witan was a political institution in Anglo-Saxon England which operated from before the seventh century until the eleventh century....
 or Council of the Anglo-Saxon Kings of the 7th to 11th centuries was held from time to time at Runnymede during the reign of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great , also spelled ?lfred, was king of the southern Anglo-Saxons kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. Alfred is noted for his defence of the kingdom against the Danish people Vikings, becoming the only English people king to be awarded the epithet "the Great"....
.

The Council met usually in the open air. This political organ was transformed in succeeding years influencing the creation of England’s 13th century parliament
Parliament

A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom....
.

The water-meadow at Runnymede is the most likely location at which, in 1215, King John
John of England

John reigned as List of English monarchs from 6 April 1199, until his death. He succeeded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I of England, who died without issue....
 sealed the Magna Carta. The charter indicates Runnymede by name. Magna Carta had an impact on common and constitutional law as well as political representation also effecting the development of parliament.

Runnymede's association with ideals of democracy, limitation of power, equality and freedom under law has attracted placement there of monuments and commemorative symbols.

Features


Urban Hanlon Broughton Memorials
Broughton died in January 1929 just prior to elevation to the peerage. His wife, Cara Leland (née Rogers) Broughton became the first Lady Fairhaven, and their eldest son, the first Baron Fairhaven by command of King George V. In December 1929 Lady Fairhaven presented the Runnymede Meadow and surrounding lands to the National Trust.

Sir Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, Order of Merit , Order of the Indian Empire, Royal Academy, Royal Institute of British Architects, LLD was a leading 20th century British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era....
 was commissioned to design a memorial to Broughton consisting of the kiosks and piers at the Egham end with lodges and piers at the Windsor end. Lutyens also designed a low wide arch bridge to carry the main road over the Thames integrating the road layout and bridge design into his plans for the memorials. The kiosks were moved to their present location when the M25 motorway was constructed.

There are two octagonal kiosks with piers facing each other across the A308 towards Egham, one of which is shown in Image 4 with the Runnymede water meadow in the background. These piers are a shorter version of those adjacent to the lodges either side of the same road towards Old Windsor in the Long Mede area of Runnymede (Image 5). The lodges show typical Lutyens design features with steeply angled roofs, large false chimneys and no rain water gutters at the eves.

The piers carry similar inscriptions. On one face (Image 6) is the inscription:

and on the other (Image 7) the words:

The memorials were opened in 1932 by the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) and are Grade II listed buildings.

Langham Pond SSSI
Langham Pond
Langham Pond

Langham Pond is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Surrey, England.ReferencesExternal links...
 was created when the meandering River Thames formed and abandoned an oxbow lake
Oxbow lake

An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the mainstem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape that results from this process....
. Its status as a wetland Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest

A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon them, including National Nature Res...
 (SSSI) was first notified in 1975 and later reviewed under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 when the protected area was extended to within Runnymede as managed by the National Trust.

The pond and associated meadow form a habitat considered unique in Southern England and of international importance for nature conservation. The flora
Flora

In botany, flora has two meanings. The first meaning, flora of an area or of time period, refers to all plant life occurring in an area or time period, especially the naturally occurring or indigenous plant life....
 and fauna
Fauna

File:Fauna.pngFauna is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoology and paleontology use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g....
 include nationally scarce plants and insects including a species of fly unrecorded elswhere in the United Kingdom.

Air Forces Memorial
The Air Forces Memorial
Air forces memorial

The Air Forces Memorial, or Runnymede Memorial, near Egham, Surrey, England is a memorial dedicated to some 20,456 men and women from the British Empire who were lost in operations from World War II....
 commemorates the men and women of the Allied Air Forces who died during the Second World War
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 and records the names of the 20,456 airmen who have no known grave.

From the top of the tower visitors can see long views over Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire

Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle....
, the surrounding counties and, somehow appropriately, aircraft taking off and landing at Heathrow. The memorial was designed by Edward Maufe
Edward Maufe

Sir Edward Brantwood Maufe was an England architect born 12 December 1883 in Ilkley, Yorkshire. He died on his birthday in 1974 in Buxted, East Sussex....
, architect of Guildford Cathedral
Guildford Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford is the Church of England cathedral at Guildford, Surrey, England. It is claimed to be the only Anglican cathedral "to be built on a new site in the southern Province of England since the Protestant Reformation"....
.

John F. Kennedy Memorial
The British memorial to the assassinated President Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
 was jointly dedicated in May, 1965, by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
 and Jacqueline Kennedy, prior to a reception for the Kennedy family
Kennedy family

The Kennedy family is a family List of descendants of Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy of the Irish American Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, and prominent in United States Politics of the United States and government....
 at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Berkshire in the England county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William I of England, is the oldest in continuous occupation....
. The memorial consists of a Portland stone
Portland stone

Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period Quarry on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds....
 memorial tablet inscribed with the famous quote from his Inaugural Address:

Visitors reach the memorial by treading a steep path of irregular granite steps, intended to symbolise a pilgrimage. There are 50 steps in total. Each step is different to all others, with the entire flight made from 60,000 hand-cut granite setts.

The area of ground that the memorial is situated on was given as a gift to the United States of America by the People of Britain, and as such it is American territory
United States territory

United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the Federal government of the United States government of the United States, including all waters ....
. It is maintained by the Kennedy Memorial Trust, which also sponsors educational scholarships for British students to attend university in the United States.

Magna Carta Memorial
Situated in a grassed enclosure on the lower slopes of Cooper's Hill, this memorial is of a domed classical style, containing a pillar of English granite on which is inscribed "To commemorate Magna Carta, symbol of Freedom Under Law". The memorial was created by the American Bar Association
American Bar Association

The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary association bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States....
 to a design by Sir Edward Maufe R.A.
Edward Maufe

Sir Edward Brantwood Maufe was an England architect born 12 December 1883 in Ilkley, Yorkshire. He died on his birthday in 1974 in Buxted, East Sussex....
, and was unveiled on 18 July 1957 at a ceremony attended by American and English lawyers.

Since 1957 representatives of the ABA have visited and rededicated the Memorial renewing pledges to the Great Charter. In 1971 and 1985 commemorative stones were placed on the Memorial plinth. In July 2000 the ABA came: In 2007 on its 80th anniversary the ABA again visited Runnymede and during the convention installed as President Charles Rhyne who devised Law Day which seeks in the USA an annual reaffirmation of faith in the forces of law for peace.

The ABA will be meeting at Runnymede in 2015 on the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the original charter.

The Magna Carta Memorial is administered by the Magna Carta Trust, which is chaired by the Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls

The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the third most senior judge of England and Wales, the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain traditionally being first and the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales second....
.

In 2008, flood lights were installed to light the memorial at night, but due to vandalism they now lie smashed.

Cooper's Hill House
A large house on Cooper's Hill, overlooking Runnymede and the River Thames
River Thames

The Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Berkshire and Windsor, Berkshire....
, has played a number of roles – as the Royal Indian Engineering College
Royal Indian Engineering College

The Royal Indian Engineering College was a British college of Civil Engineering founded by George Tomkyns Chesney in 1870. It was intended to train engineers for the Indian Public Works department....
, wartime Post Office
Post office

A post office is a facility authorized by a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail. Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies....
 headquarters, storage for the Statue of Eros during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, an emergency teacher training college, Shoreditch
Shoreditch

Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located north east of Charing Cross....
 College – a centre for craft and handiwork education, and most recently, Brunel University
Brunel University

Brunel University is a university situated in West London, England....
's design school(has removed to Uxbridge Main Campus).

Symbolic Oaks
The Duke of Gloucester planted an oak tree adjacent to the Magna Carta Memorial in 1987 as did P.V.Narismha Rao Prime Minister of the Republic of India which is the worlds most populous democracy. The Prime Minister left a plaque reading: In 1987 two further oak trees were planted near the Memorial. One planted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II marked National Tree Week. Another planted by John O. Marsh, Secretary of the Army of the United States of America has a plaque which reads

Ankerwycke Yew
The revered 2500 year old Ankerwycke Yew is also a possible site where Magna Carta was sealed. The sacred tree could have been the location of the Witan Council and influenced the founding of St Mary's Priory there. This religious site may well have been the preferred neutral meeting place of King John and the barons.

Land development proposals threatening the yew led to action resulting in the tree and surrounding estate passing into the protection of the National Trust in 1998.

Henry VIII is said to have met Anne Boleyn under the tree in the 1530s.

In 1992 Professor David Bellamy led a dedication at the yew stating: There followed ten pledges to sustain all life forms.

Access

Runnymede is owned by the National Trust and is open during daylight hours, seven days a week, at no charge.

One of the Lutyens lodges at the Windsor entrance to the meadow houses a popular tea room. Two car parks adjoin this entrance.

Location

Runnymede is located on the banks of the River Thames, and on the A308 road
A308 road

The A308, is a road in England in two parts.*The Brompton, Kensington to Fulham section starts at the A4 road by Brompton Oratory and Victoria and Albert Museum, and follows Fulham Road South West to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where it jumps south a block to follow Kings Road to meet the A219 road in Fulham, close to Putney Bridge....
 in Egham
Egham

Egham is a small town in the Runnymede of Surrey, in the South East England of England. It is part of the London commuter belt, and about southwest of central London on the River Thames and near junction 13 of the M25 motorway....
 about east of Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire

Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle....
. It is about west of the centre of London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. Its historical significance has been heavily influenced by its proximity to the Roman Road
Roman roads in Britain

Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman Army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads during their nearly four centuries of occupation ....
 river crossing
Crossings of the River Thames

This is a list of crossings of the River Thames including bridges, tunnels and ferries. In all, there are 214 bridges, over twenty tunnels, and six public ferries but just one Ford_....
 at nearby Staines
Staines

Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and part of the London Commuter Belt of South East England, but remains within the postal county of Middlesex....
. The last fatal duel in England took place in 1852, on Priest Hill, which borders with Runnymede.

Gallery


Namesakes


Canada

  • Toronto
    Toronto

    Toronto is the List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population in Canada and the Provinces and territories of Canada Provincial and territorial capitals of Canada of Ontario....
    , Ontario
    Ontario

    Ontario is a Provinces and territories of Canada located in the Central Canada part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area....
    : Runnymede Road; Runnymede subway station
    Runnymede (TTC)

    Runnymede is a List of Toronto TTC stations on the Bloor-Danforth line of the Toronto Subway and RT in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2218 Bloor Street West at Runnymede Road....
  • Victoria
    Victoria, British Columbia

    Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy....
    , British Columbia
    British Columbia

    British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
    : Runnymede Avenue
  • Whiteville, North Carolina
    Whiteville, North Carolina

    Whiteville is a city in Columbus County, North Carolina, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,148 at the 2000 census. It is the only city of Columbus County, North Carolina and is the county seat....
    , North Carolina
    North Carolina

    North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
    : Runnymede Village


France

  • Joinville-le-Pont
    Joinville-le-Pont

    Joinville-le-Pont is a communes of France in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located . from the Kilometre Zero....
    , Val de Marne, Île de France
    Ile de France

    Ile de France may refer to:*?le-de-France * SS Ile de France, an ocean liner* A historical name for Mauritius, an island nation in the southwest Indian Ocean...
    , France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
     : place de Runnymede


External links