Members of the public will be able to retrace the journey of Magna Carta, the document that helped build the foundations of democracy.
The Battlefields Trust is producing a number of trails taking in some of the key historical sites linked to the charter, to mark its 800th anniversary next year. It has been awarded a £98,000 grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project.
Details of the trails are yet to be finalised, but they will take in the 10 charter towns and several other sites of historical importance.
One trail will cover London and Runnymede in Surrey, where Magna Carta was agreed in June 1215 by King John.
London is the only city to be specifically named in the charter. It is also home to Temple Church where, for a week in January 1215, John was confronted by barons who demanded a charter. The subsequent document limited the king’s powers by law and protected their rights, paving the way for the establishment of constitutional law.
One route will cover Salisbury and the West Country, while another will take in the cathedral cities of Durham, York and Lincoln, home to one of the four original 1215 texts.
Another will include St Albans and Bury St Edmunds, which had a pivotal role in the history of Magna Carta. In 1214, a group of barons met in St Edmunds Abbey Church and swore an oath to compel John to accept the Charter of Liberties, the direct precursor to Magna Carta. Salisbury Cathedral is also home to one of the originals. It contains an effigy of John’s half-brother, William Longespée, who urged him to accept Magna Carta.
Edward Dawson, of the Battlefields Trust, said: “We are very keen not just to portray this [Magna Carta] as a historic event that happened a long time ago that should be commemorated, but also as the start of democracy and the beginnings of the rule of law, which is something we think should resonate with people now.”
One trail may be a cycling trail, in association with Sustrans, the charity, he added.
Trails are among a number of events being organised to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta Trust has been given £1 million by the Government for the commemorations. It has asked the Royal Mint to issue a commemorative £2 coin and is lobbying Parliament for a public holiday on June 15 2015, marking the anniversary of John’s assent.
It also plans to hold a number of academic seminars and conferences, as well as events in the charter towns in 2015, and has produced a range of Magna Carta merchandise, with proceeds going towards funding commemorative events.
There will also be an exhibition at the British Library in London, which holds the other two original 1215 charters.
Sir Robert Worcester, the chairman of the trust, said events would also be taking place around the world.
“It now affects more than 100 countries, who are following the rule of law, which includes France and Germany and Italy and all the Europeans, but also all the countries in the Commonwealth, save two or three,” he said.