Runnymede, the birthplace of democracy.

THE MAGNA CARTA TRUST

The memorial and the land on which it stands is vested in the Magna Carta Trust under the chairmanship of the Master of the Rolls. The principal object of the Magna Carta Trust is the perpetuation of the principles of Magna Carta. The Trust also maintains and cares for the up-keep of the Memorial which was commissioned by the American Bar Association.

THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION MEMORIAL TO MAGNA CARTA

The memorial was designed by Sir Edward Maufe RA and dedicated on the 28th July 1957 in ceremonies attended by over 5,000 people. Built of Portland Stone and supported on eight octagonal pillars the Memorial is a domed classical Temple in the Greek Style. In the centre is a pillar of English Granite inscribed:

‘TO COMMEMORATE MAGNA CARTA
SYMBOL OF FREEDOM UNDER LAW’

Surrounding the memorial are Eight English Oak Trees. Two further oak trees on either side of the path were planted by HRH the Duke of Gloucester in 1987 and the Prime Minister of India in 1994.

MAGNA CART THROUGHOUT THE AGES

After the third and final amendment in 1225 by King Henry III, the Magna Carta was confirmed in 1297 by King Edward I and placed on the first or ‘great’ roll of English Statute thus becoming the first constitutional document in the World. It has throughout the Ages formed a basis for law and democracy in the civilised world. Seen by every Englishman as a safeguard for their constitutional rights against unjust and arbitrary rule, the tenets of the Magna Carta have been upheld and used extensively throughout history.

During the Tudor and Stuart reigns of the 16th and 17th centuries religious intolerance and persecution was rife. By the early 1600’s Puritans no longer tolerated by the Church and Crown set off to seek a new life of religious tolerance in the new world of the American Colonies. In 1620, upon the Mayflower, the Pilgrim Fathers set sail from Plymouth taking with them a copy of the Magna Carta. The principles of the Charter granting – ‘Freedom under the Law’ – went on to form the basis for the Constitution of the United States and later the Bill of Rights, of which Thomas Jefferson said:

‘ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL IN LIFE, LIBERTY
AND IN THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.’

This pursuit of equality and liberty as laid down in the Magna Carta brought about the abolition of the Slave Trade by William Wilberforce and President Abraham Lincoln.

Magna Carta is still, in the twentieth century, some 780 years after its inception forming the basis for Human Rights. Its passages were quoted by Nancy Astor in the battle for votes for women during the Suffragette Movement of the early 1900’s. The principles of Magna Carta formed the basis for Human Rights during times of war under the Geneva Convention and in times of peace in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted on the 10th December 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The constitutions of India and the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe have enshrined key elements and principles first established by Magna Cart.

Information about the Magna Carta Trust can be found here.

This oak tree, planted with soil from Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the New World, commemorates the bicentenary of the constitution of the United States of America. It stand in acknowledgement that the ideals of liberty  and justice embodied in the constitution trace their lineage through institutions of English law to the Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede on June 15th, 1215. Planted December 2, 1987 by John O. Marsh, Jr., Secretary of the Army of the United States of America.

Our room was a little warm overnight due to the lovely weather. The breakfast spread was excellent, having both cooked and continental style options, although unfortunately the plates were cold.

When we were comfortably replete we drove to The Savill Garden which is situated in Windsor Great Park. Whilst we were travelling Mr C’s phone started to ring again, luckily, for some unaccountable reason (divine intervention?), the fully charged phone had completely drained its battery leaving us to enjoy the gardens in peace. The summer garden beds were particularly spectacular and we enjoyed walking through the woodlands in the wider garden. Before we left for our next destination we had lunch and browsed the extensive gift shop.

We had planned to visit Dorney Court next but realised that it wouldn’t be open when we arrived so we took a slight detour to see the Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede. We made the short walk to the memorial which was erected by the American Bar Association in 1957. This area is another plane spotter’s paradise and, as we made our way back to the car park we observed many planes coming into land at Heathrow at approximately one minute intervals.

The hot weather prompted us to purchase a Mr Whippy ice cream before making our way to Dorney Court.

Dorney Court has a fascinating history having been in continuous ownership of the same family since 1537. The house visit is by guided tour and our guide shared many interesting bits of information including pointing out the 17th century priest hole which is rumoured to connect to a secret tunnel running to Burnham Abbey which is about a mile away.

After we had been in one of the rooms for a few minutes our guide mentioned that it was the room where the ghost had appeared. The story goes that whilst a young single man is sleeping in bed a lady dressed in grey appears and points to the corner of the room. Later in the place indicated by the ghost, a skull and other skeletal remains were found behind the wall.

After relating the tale the guide looked at me and said ‘in fact the ghost appeared exactly where you are standing and I see the colours you are dressed in’ (mauve/greys). Thankfully the room (for me) didn’t have an odd or creepy feel to it.

Before joining our guided tour we visited the charming parish Church of St James the Less which is situated just behind the house. The church has lots of interesting features and I would have liked to go back after the tour but unfortunately a wedding was taking place on the lawn blocking access to the church.

That evening we dined in the hotel restaurant which turned out to be a mistake.  The bread plates (but not the bread) were partially removed before our main courses arrived. The meal was disappointing and it was served on cold plates leading to our meal going cold very quickly. After we had finished the plates were removed and then, a little while later the bread was removed from the table. Dessert menus were not offered so after a while Mr C attracted someone’s attention and we were provided with menus but nobody came to take our order.

By this time we had given up on the idea and Mr C went to track someone down and request the bill. When he found someone he said ‘Could I have the bill for the table you have forgotten over there?’ Almost immediately the head waiter came over with the bill, apologising profusely, and advised that he had removed the cost of the meals from the bill and that we would only have to pay for the wine.

The saga of poor service continued in the bar area where the young bar tender was rather rude with an ‘I couldn’t care less’ attitude (Manuel who had served us the previous evening was serving in the restaurant). When mum asked if she could have a coffee he rather abruptly said no and when the next drink she wanted was not available either, no apologies just a curt response.

Chaos and mayhem continued as the bartender shared his this attitude with other customers and members of staff. For one group of customers the right type of glasses could not be found and drinks were not available until a little later they were miraculously unearthed in the cellar. Whilst all this was going on mum advised us that room service had removed her flannel from her room that morning. All very ‘Fawlty Towers’!

By the end of the evening I was trying very hard not to laugh out loud