What is Runnymede?
[[File:runnymedediagram.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Runnymede]] '''Runnmede''' is a water-[[meadow]] in [[Surrey]], [[England]], 20 miles (32&nbsp;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. At Runnymede, [[John of England|King John]] sealed [[Magna Carta]] in 1215. Over eight centuries later, the [[memorial]] for those of the Allied [[Air Force]]s who died in [[World War II]] was placed on Runnymede. The British memorial to [[John F. Kennedy]] was put there in 1965. [[File:Runnymede-jfk-steps.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Kennedy steps. Eleven of the 50 steps upward to the JFK Memorial.]] [[File:ABA2Runnymede.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The Magna Carta Memorial & view towards the 'medes']] [[File:AirForcesMemorial-9.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede]] == History == 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,<ref>Council of the Anglo-Saxon Kings of the 7th to 11th centuries</ref> the Saxon Council, was held from time to time at Runnymede during the reign of [[Alfred the Great]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-runnymede/w-runnymede-history.htm|title=History of Runnymede|last=Anon|work=Days out ad visits|publisher=The National Trust|accessdate=1 October 2009|archive-date=2010-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607073133/http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-runnymede/w-runnymede-history.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Council met usually in the open air, a tradition that influenced the creation of the [[English Parliament]] in the [[13th century]]. == Kennedy Memorial == Visitors reach the memorial by treading a steep path of irregular granite steps, intended to symbolise a pilgrimage. There are 50 steps in total. Each step is different to all