England Trip
Day 2 June 19, 2002
By Dan, Mary Jane and Scotty Hyde
Wednesday June 19 - Runnymede - The Birthplace of Democracy
Ever since studying medieval history in sixth grade, Jan and I
have been interested in the Magna Carta. When we discover that
Runnymede (where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215) is close to
Windsor, we definitely want to visit the site of the signing. Though
jetlagged, we drive to Runnymede. The "mede," or meadow, where the
signing took place is still a simple meadow by the Thames River.
While Dan and Scotty catnap in our Skoda, Jan and I walk the
half-mile or so up a small hill to where the American Bar Association,
in 1957, placed a monument to the Magna Carta. This, the first
document outlining English civil liberties, was a model for much of
the American Constitution.
"On these meads in AD 1215 King John of England sealed the Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta (or the Great Charter of English Liberty) ...
"
Sign at Runnymede
Famous Meadows at Runnymede
Thames River at Runnymede
Willow along Thames River at Runnymede
Tea House at Runnymede Where We had Afternoon Tea
We complete our Runnymede visit with an
afternoon cream tea (tea and two scones with strawberry jam and cream)
at the Runnymede Tea House across the road from the Runnymede meadow.
Our drive from Runnymede to the Ealing Guest House in Ealing, Greater
London (where we stayed for three nights), is an adventure.
Unfamiliar with the exit and road signage on the Motorway
(interstate), we miss the exit we should have taken. Somehow, we
eventually manage to reach Ealing and our Guest House, about 8 or 9
p. m. Darling Scotty, who had very little sleep on the plane to
England, sleeps through all the wrong turns and wrong streets, and
wakes up just enough to climb the stairs to our room and fall onto his
bed, asleep with all his clothes on until morning. We really cram a
lot into our first day in England!
Page maintained by Dan Hyde, hyde at bucknell.edu Last update
July 13, 2002
Copyright © 2002
Daniel C. Hyde
