Misplaced Pages

#978021

46-596: Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey , bordering Berkshire and just over 20 miles (32 km) west of central London . It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta , and as a consequence is, with its adjoining hillside, the site of memorials. Runnymede Borough is named after the area, Runnymede being at its northernmost point. The name Runnymede refers to land in public and National Trust ownership in

92-412: A river . "Water-meadow" is sometimes used more loosely to mean any level grassland beside a river. Two main types of water-meadow were used. These were used for fields on slopes, and relatively little engineering skill was required to construct them. Water from a stream or spring was fed to the top of a sloping field, and gentle sloping terraces were formed along which the water could trickle in

138-778: A Minister-Counselor at the US Embassy in London, planted an oak tree adjacent to the Magna Carta Memorial in 1987, as did P. V. Narismha Rao, Prime Minister of India. The Prime Minister left a plaque reading: As a tribute to the historic Magna Carta, a source of inspiration throughout the world, and as an affirmation of the values of Freedom, Democracy and the Rule of Law which the People of India cherish and have enshrined in their Constitution. March 16, 1994 In 1987 two further oak trees were planted near

184-402: A Site of Special Scientific Interest. Both sites are overseen by Runnymede Borough Council. The National Trust holding includes: Long Mede is a meadow north of the ancient "mede" (meadow) of Runnymede towards Old Windsor and has been used for centuries to provide good-quality hay from the alluvial pasture. Runnymede itself lies towards Egham. It is likely that Runnymede proper was the site of

230-664: A dedication at the yew, stating: We the free people of the islands of Great Britain on the 777th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta do: Look back and give thanks for the benefits that the signings, sealing and swearing of oaths on that document handed down to us. Look forward to a new age of freedom through sustainability by granting the following rights to all the sons of plants and animals with which we share our islands and our planet. There followed ten pledges to sustain all life forms. Water-meadow Water-meadows should not be confused with flood-meadows , which are naturally covered in shallow water by seasonal flooding from

276-555: A good day visitors can see as far as the Wembley Arch and even the Gherkin in the City of London. The memorial was designed by Edward Maufe , architect of Guildford Cathedral , with architectural sculptures by Vernon Hill . The British memorial for U.S. President John F. Kennedy was jointly dedicated on 14 May 1965, by Queen Elizabeth II and Jacqueline Kennedy , prior to a reception for

322-453: A shorter version of those adjacent to the lodges either side of the same road towards Old Windsor in the Long Mede. The lodges show typical Lutyens design features with steeply angled roofs, large false chimneys and no rainwater gutters at the eaves. The piers carry similar inscriptions. On one face is the inscription: In these Meads on 15th June 1215 King John at the instance of Deputies from

368-577: A species of fly unrecorded elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The Air Forces Memorial commemorates the men and women of the Allied Air Forces who died during the Second World War 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 , the surrounding counties and aircraft taking off and landing at Heathrow . On

414-717: A wetland Site of Special Scientific Interest (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 64 acres (260,000 m) 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 and fauna include nationally scarce plants and insects including

460-405: A zig-zag fashion down the field. The water could be used again for fields lower down the slope. Bedwork or floated water-meadows were built on almost-level fields along broad river valleys ; they required careful construction to ensure correct operation. A leat , called a main , carrier or top carrier , diverted water from the river and carried it down the valley at a gentler slope than

506-621: Is believed to derive from the Middle English runinge (taking counsel) and mede (mead or meadow), describing a place in the meadows used to hold regular meetings. The Witan, Witenagemot or Council of the Anglo-Saxon Kings of the 7th to 11th centuries met from time to time at Runnymede during the reign of Alfred the Great (871–899). The Council usually assembled in the open air. This political organ transformed in succeeding years, influencing

SECTION 10

#1732863222979

552-457: The Kennedy family at Windsor Castle . The memorial consists of a garden and Portland stone memorial tablet inscribed with the famous quote from his Inaugural Address : Let every Nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend or oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty. Visitors reach

598-586: The Shoreditch College of Education (a centre for craft and handiwork education); and most recently, Brunel University 's department of design (since relocated to Brunel University's campus in Uxbridge). The 1,400-year-old-plus Ankerwycke Yew , on the left (east) bank of the river, is also a possible site where Magna Carta may have been sealed. The tree could have been the location of the Witan council and influenced

644-556: The ABA again visited Runnymede. During its convention it installed as President Charles Rhyne, who devised Law Day , which in the United States represents an annual reaffirmation of faith in the forces of law for peace. Floodlights were installed in 2008 to light the memorial at night. In 2015, in anticipation of the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta, the two wooden benches at the memorial were replaced by stone benches. On 15 June,

690-555: The Magna Carta 800th Anniversary celebrations. Based on Clause 39 of Magna Carta, and inspired perhaps by the inscription on John Keats ' grave monument, artist Mark Wallinger designed Writ in Water to celebrate the legacy of Magna Carta. It combines sky, light and water creating a space for reflection both physically and contemplatively. Architects Studio Octopi installed the art work on Coopers Hill Slopes (accessible from Longmede) and it

736-530: The Magna Carta 800th anniversary celebrations on 15 June, but their presence did not affect proceedings, and the eviction was completed at a later date. After the death of Urban Broughton in 1929, Sir Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to design a set of twin memorials consisting of large kiosks and posts or "piers" with stone blocks crowned with laurel wreaths and formalised urns at the Egham end and with lodges and piers at

782-654: The Memorial. One, planted by Queen Elizabeth II, marked National Tree Week. Another, planted by John O. Marsh, Secretary of the Army of the US, has a plaque which reads: 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 stands in acknowledgement that

828-508: The Thames flood plain south-west of the river between Old Windsor and Egham . The area includes (to the west of A308 road ) the Long Mede and Runnymede, which together with Coopers Hill Slopes is managed by the National Trust. There is also a narrower strip of land, east of the road and west of the river, known as the Yard Mede. On the west bank of the river, at the southern end of the area shown on

874-542: The Windsor end. Lutyens also designed a low wide arch bridge to carry the main road over the Thames to the north, integrating the road layout and bridge design into his plans for the memorials. The southern 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. These piers are

920-478: The above map, are (inter alia): a recreational area with a large car park; a number of private homes; a large distribution centre; and a hotel. The landscape of Runnymede is characterised as "Thames Basin Lowland", an urban fringe. It is a gently undulating vale of small fields interspersed by woods, shaws , ponds, meadows, and heath. The National Trust area is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) which contains

966-631: The anniversary day, the ABA, accompanied by US Attorney General Loretta Lynch , rededicated the memorial in a ceremony led by Anne, Princess Royal in the presence of Elizabeth II and other members of the British Royal Family . The Magna Carta Memorial is administered by the Magna Carta Trust, which is chaired by the Master of the Rolls . Prince Edward, Duke of Kent together with David K. Diebold,

SECTION 20

#1732863222979

1012-413: The by-carriers. The larger sluices may be concealed under the roots of trees (such as crack willows ), which have grown up from seedlings established in the brickwork. The complex mixture of wet and drier ground often gives derelict water-meadows particularly high wetland biodiversity . Derelict water-meadows can be transformed into wildlife protection and conservation areas by repairing and operating

1058-471: The county of Surrey Sometime Member of Parliament These meadows of historic interest on 18th December 1929 were gladly offered to the Nation by his widow Cara Lady Fairhaven and his sons Huttleston Lord Fairhaven and Henry Broughton The memorials were opened in 1932 by Edward VIII and are Grade II listed buildings. Langham Pond was created when the meandering River Thames formed an oxbow lake . Its status as

1104-538: The creation of England's 13th-century parliament . The water-meadow at Runnymede is the most likely location at which, in 1215, King John sealed Magna Carta . The charter itself references Runnymede by name as "Ronimed. inter Windlesoram et Stanes" (between Windsor and Staines). Magna Carta affected common and constitutional law as well as political representation, also affecting the development of parliament. Runnymede's association with ideals of democracy, limitation of power, equality and freedom under law has attracted

1150-453: 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, botanist and environmental campaigner David Bellamy led

1196-538: The ground and so allowed grass to grow several weeks earlier than otherwise, and in dry summer weather irrigation kept the grass growing. It also allowed the ground to absorb any plant nutrients or silt carried by the river water – this fertilised the grassland, and incidentally also reduced eutrophication of the river water by nutrient pollution . The grass was used both for making hay and for grazing by livestock (usually cattle or sheep ). Former water-meadows are found along many river valleys, where

1242-468: The ideals of liberty and justice embodied in the Constitution trace their lineage through institutions of English law to Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede on June 15th, 1215. The Jurors artwork was commissioned by Surrey County Council and the National Trust to mark the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta. The sculptor Hew Locke created 12 bronze chairs each of which is decorated with symbols of past and present struggles for freedom, equality and

1288-535: The irrigation, as is the case of Josefov Meadows in the Czech Republic. By imitating the natural river flooding which is rare in modern straightened and dammed rivers, a rich biodiversity can be restored and attract and sustain many rare and protected wetland species. Urban Hanlon Broughton Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

1334-719: The main back to the river. The ridges varied in height depending on the available head – usually from around 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in). The pattern of carriers and drains was generally regular, but it was adapted to fit the natural topography of the ground and the locations of suitable places for the offtake and return of water. The water flow was controlled by a system of hatches ( sluice gates) and stops (small earth or wooden-board dams ). Irrigation could be provided separately for each section of water-meadow. Sometimes aqueducts took carriers over drains, and causeways and culverts provided access for wagons . The working or floating (irrigation) and maintenance of

1380-475: The memorial by treading a steep path of irregular granite steps, intended to symbolise a pilgrimage. There are 50 steps in total, representing the 50 states in the USA. Each step is different from all others, with the entire flight made from 60,000 hand-cut granite setts. Landscape architect Geoffrey Jellicoe designed the garden; sculptor Alan Collins designed and carved the stone inscription. The area of ground on which

1426-495: The memorial is situated was given as a gift to the United States by the people of the United Kingdom, though the area remains under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom. It is maintained by the Kennedy Memorial Trust , which also sponsors educational scholarships for British students to attend university in the United States. In 1968 the 7-ton stone was damaged by a bomb during a time of anti-Vietnam war demonstrations; it

Runnymede - Misplaced Pages Continue

1472-534: The placement there of monuments and commemorative symbols. The last fatal duel in England took place in 1852, on Priest Hill, a continuation of Cooper's Hill by Windsor Great Park . The National Trust land was donated in 1929 by Cara Rogers Broughton and her two sons. The American-born widow of Urban Hanlon Broughton , she was permitted by letter from George V to join her son's new peerage in tribute to her husband and this gift and be styled Lady Fairhaven. The gift

1518-534: The river has occasionally changed its course here. Ankerwycke and the ruins of the 12th-century Priory of St Mary's were both acquired by the National Trust in 1998. As the Thames forms the county boundary at this point, these areas now lie in Berkshire . Runnymede's historical significance has been heavily influenced by its proximity to the Roman Road river-crossing at nearby Staines-upon-Thames . The name Runnymede

1564-443: The river, producing a hydrostatic head between the two. Mains were often along the edge of the valley, each main supplying up to about 1 km (0.6 mi) of the valley. The water from the main was used to supply many smaller carriers, on the crests of ridges built across the fields. The channel on the crest of each ridge would overflow slowly down the sides (the panes ) of the ridge, the channel eventually tapering to an end at

1610-450: The rule of law. The artist invites participants to sit, reflect upon and discuss the themes represented. In the image the back of the chair nearest the viewer is a representation of Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island, South Africa. The portrait seen of the further chair is of Lillie Lenton wearing insignia related to the imprisonment and activism of suffragettes. The installation was inaugurated at Runnymede by Prince William during

1656-468: The sealing of Magna Carta, although the Magna Carta Memorial stands on Long Mede. The sealing of Magna Carta is also popularly associated with Magna Carta Island , on the opposite (east) bank of the Thames. It has also sometimes been associated with the nearby Ankerwycke Yew . These and their surrounding landscape of floodplain and parkland may once have formed an integral part of Runnymede, as

1702-475: The sluice gates, channels and field ridges may still be visible (however the ridges should not be confused with ridge and furrow topography, which is found on drier ground and has a very different origin in arable farming ). The drains in a derelict water-meadow are generally clogged and wet, and most of the carrier channels are dry, with the smaller ones on the ridge-tops often invisible. If any main carrier channels still flow, they usually connect permanently to

1748-419: The tip of the ridge. The seeping water would then collect between the ridges, in drains or drawns , these joining to form a bottom carrier or tail drain which returned the water to the river. The ridges and the drains made an interlocking grid (like interlaced fingers), but the ridge-top channels and the drains did not connect directly. A by-carrier took any water not needed for irrigation straight from

1794-423: The water-meadow was done by a highly skilled craftsman called a drowner or waterman , who was often employed by several adjacent farmers. The terminology used for watermeadows varied considerably with locality and dialect. Water-meadow irrigation did not aim to flood the ground, but to keep it continuously damp – a working water-meadow has no standing water. Irrigation in early spring kept frosts off

1840-588: The whole community of the Realm granted the Great Charter the earliest of constitutional documents whereunder ancient and cherished customs were confirmed abuses redressed and the administration of justice facilitated new provisions formulated for the preservation of peace and every individual perpetually secured in the free enjoyment of his life and property. and on the other the words: In perpetual memory of Urban Hanlon Broughton 1857–1929 of Park Close Englefield Green in

1886-596: Was given in memory of Urban Broughton. At the time the New Bedford Standard-Times commented: "It must be a source of gratification to all Americans, and especially to us here and in Fairhaven , that the presentation of this historic spot as public ground has been brought about by an American woman, an appropriate enough circumstance considering that the great charter underlies the USA's conception of government and human rights." Between 2012 and 2015, Cooper's Hill

Runnymede - Misplaced Pages Continue

1932-523: Was later repaired by the sculptor. Situated in a grassed enclosure, on the lower slopes of Cooper's Hill, this memorial is of a domed classical style monopteros , 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 (ABA) after a suggestion by the lawyer and historian Louis Ottenberg. Designed by Sir Edward Maufe R.A., it

1978-458: Was obtained from springs on the site, and the village was largely hidden from view from outside the woodland. The members called themselves "Diggers" after the 17th-century Diggers movement. There were two unsuccessful attempts to evict the settlers in the first year of occupation; and on 30 March 2015 bailiffs served a further High Court trespass notice on behalf of the landowners, Orchard Runnymede Ltd. The settlers were still in occupation during

2024-444: Was occupied by a radical community living in self-build houses, huts, benders , and tents in the self-proclaimed "Runnymede Eco Village". Around 40 people, including a few young families, lived in a dispersed settlement throughout the 4 acres of woodland. They used mainly reclaimed material to build living structures, solar power to generate electricity, wood-burners for heat, cultivated some vegetables and kept chickens and geese. Water

2070-442: 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: to celebrate Magna Carta, foundation of the rule of law for ages past and for the new millennium. In 2007, on its 50th anniversary,

2116-650: Was unveiled on the 803rd anniversary of the sealing of the Great Charter. A large house on Cooper's Hill, overlooking Runnymede and the River Thames, has been at different times: the Royal Indian Engineering College ; wartime Post Office headquarters; storage during World War II for the statue of Anteros (popularly known as "Eros") from the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain , Picadilly Circus , London; an emergency teacher training college;

#978021