Runnymede Magna Carta & Air Forces Memorial

A beautiful and surprisingly peaceful route around Runnymede, outer London taking in parts of the river Thames and finishing at the Air Forces Memorial. Runnymede of course is famous as the site where the Magna Carta was sealed by King John over 800 years ago. Today however the area also holds many sculptures and memorials from JFK and the "Writ in Water" to the Allied Air Forces memorial at the top of the hill offering wonderful views across South London.

Summary

Distance/Elevation

7.7km (90m)

Difficulty

Easy (2hrs 15 mins)

Average time

2hrs 15 mins

Parking

Plentiful & Free

Route Advice

Food/Drink

Dog friendly
Parking
Cafe
Pub
River walk
Forest/woodland
Family friendly
Toilet
Potential livestock
Castle/palace
Park
National Trust
Art/sculptures
Wildflowers/gardens
Wildlife spotting
Historic site
Great for running

Starting AddressCoopers Hill Car Park, Cooper's Hill Lane, Englefield Green, Egham, UK

Did you know

In 1215, England stood on the brink of Civil War. A group of barons demanded King John agreed to a document as protection against the King's arbitrary behaviour. King John met these Barons in Runnymede and agreed to their demands by sealing a document known as Magna Carta, which is Latin for Great Charter.

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The Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede commemorates by name over 20,000 men and women of the air forces, who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and North and Western Europe, and who have no known graves.

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Following the assassination of JFK in 1963, the British government commemorated his life with a monument. The sculpture itself is a series of granite steps with inscriptions but more interesting is the land it is built upon. The acre was gifted to the United States federal government so that the memorial would stand on American soil.

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