New display for cathedral's 1215 Magna Carta

The new enclosure in the cathedral's chapter house ensures light levels do not get too high

One of the four remaining copies of Magna Carta has been placed inside a new display box to prevent fading and to increase its security.

The document, which was signed in 1215, is based at Salisbury Cathedral and is estimated to be worth more than £20m.

Its new home has upgraded LED light control levels and more safety features.

Salisbury Cathedral's archivist Emily Naish said: "It is in excellent condition. We like to think that ours is the best preserved."

The Salisbury copy of Magna Carta is believed to be the best preserved of the 1215 copies

Millions of tourists have visited Salisbury to view Magna Carta, which established the right of trial by jury and ensured that no one was above the law.

There was an attempt to steal it in 2018 when a man with a hammer managed to make holes in the protective glass.

Archivist Emily Naish explained that too much light can make the ink fade

"We want to have our Magna Carta on display all year round. We do have to be very careful on light levels," said Ms Naish.

"We've upgraded the security here - on a need-to-know basis exactly what those are."

While there are four copies from 1215, there are later medieval ones, including one made in 1297 that sold in the US for more than £10m in 2007.

Translated from Latin as "Great Charter", most of it is now not relevant, but signed by King John at Runnymede in 1215, it is seen as the foundation of English laws.

It has influenced later documents, including the US constitution.