Runnmede is a water-meadow in Surrey, England, 20 miles (32 km)
west of London. The site is owned and managed by The National
Trust, and runs alongside the River Thames. It is one of
England's most visited tourist sites. Runnymede is where King
John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. Over eight centuries later,
the memorial for those of the Allied Air Forces who died in
World War II was placed on Runnymede. The British memorial to
John F. Kennedy was put there in 1965. The name Runnymede may be
derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'runieg' (regular meeting) and
'mede' (mead or meadow), describing a place in the meadows used
to hold regular meetings. The Witan, the Saxon Council, was held
from time to time at Runnymede during the reign of Alfred the
Great. The Council met usually in the open air. This tradition
influenced the creation of England’s parliament in the 13th
century. The Kennedy Memorial [change] Visitors reach the
memorial by treading a steep path of irregular granite steps,
intended to symbolise a pilgrimag