It was somewhere near here, in the meadows of Runnymede, in June of 1215, that King John met with his disaffected barons to negotiate the terms of a treaty that is known to history as the ‘Magna Carta’ or ‘Great Charter. Although born in the brutal age of medieval England, this was the first attempt in history to limit the autonomy of the monarchy and provide for the kings free subjects. The charter has subsequently formed the foundations of the constitutions of many countries, not least the U.S.A, and underpins the principle of freedom under law in the civilised world. This monument, which contains a pillar of English granite, is inscribed: ‘To commemorate Magna Carta, symbol of freedom under law’ and was built by the American Bar Association.