Magna Carta tourist trails to mark 800th anniversary

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King John agreeing to seal the Magna Carta in RunnymedeImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The Magna Carta was agreed at Runnymede in 1215

Six tourist trails have been unveiled as part of a major campaign to mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta.

The peace treaty signalling the end of a conflict between King John and the barons who were in revolt was sealed in Runnymede, Surrey, on 15 June 1215.

The document is seen as the cornerstone of the development of constitutional law in England.

The trails, external each cover different aspects of the history of the Magna Carta and offer two to four-day itineraries.

They are:

  • London to Windsor

  • Salisbury and Wiltshire

  • The Cathedral cities of the North

  • Kent and East Sussex

  • East of England

  • The Heart of England

Chairman of the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee, Sir Robert Worcester, said the trails would "immerse visitors in 800 years of history".

There are four surviving copies of Magna Carta - two copies belong to the British Library, one copy is owned by Lincoln Cathedral and one by Salisbury Cathedral.

Events are being organised across the world to mark the 800th anniversary next year.

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