Runnymede Explored Project

We are delighted to announce that at the start of August 2022 works commenced on the construction of the new accessible Thames path at Runnymede.  It is envisaged that the works will complete around the end of October this year. We have commissioned Landform Consultants, a contractor based in Cobham, Surrey, to undertake this segment of the project.

Harry Farmer (HEAA Apprentice), alongside NT Archaeologist James Brown, and Surrey County Archaeological Unit delivered our first excavation at Ankerwycke as part of the Runnymede Explored Project. We had many volunteers, from beginners to experts, attend the 10-day dig. One member of the Young Archaeologist Club (YAK) who attended a days dig with their family found a beautiful medieval floor tile! We are putting together a report of our findings which we will share in the upcoming months.

We are excited to announce the 2022 National Trust Runnymede Artist in Residence, Bhajan Hunjan.    

Bhajan Hunjan has worked as an artist for many years, leading projects that hold strong links to local communities, creating permanent features for both external and internal spaces including work for public spaces in Slough. She has also worked extensively as an artist educator running participatory sessions to delivery temporary and permanent installations. 

Bhajan Hunjan says, “I am delighted to be part of this opportunity, working with families in Slough and the National Trust. Through creative activities and conversations, I hope we will be able to discover the hidden, old and new stories, that will become an important part of the Runnymede Stories project.” 

We're delighted to introduce Runnymede Stories, a programme of free events based at The Curve in Slough this summer holiday, running from 22 July – 7 August.    

This iconic library and cultural centre will be the location for a mixture of free workshops and events exploring themes including archaeology, nature and art, along with creative storytelling and oral histories workshops. There will be a chance to get outside too, with further workshops based in Slough’s local green spaces, aimed at promoting wellbeing. 

Local residents of all ages are invited to come and get involved, with events for adults and children alike.   

The residency will also work with Nami Ralph children’s illustrator and consultants Neena Sohal and Rinku Mitra to help shape the experience.  

Runnymede Stories hopes to engage with those who may not have heard of Runnymede before and to understand what the themes of ‘Land and Freedom’ mean to them in 2022.  

Part of our project looks to conserve our beautiful St Mary’s priory, located across the river at Ankerwycke. Cliveden Conservation were appointed last August to carry out the works which saw them treating the vegetation that had grown on the remains. They have come back to remove this vegetation and we think the priory is looking absolutely magnificent.

A series of weekly webinars, bringing together experts to discuss how landscapes shape our personal memories and experience of history.

The team worked with Royal Holloway’s Dance Society and the Forest Estate Community Hub dance group at Runnymede to think about a key recurring theme from the Magna Carta – Freedom – and how that could be explored through dance. Families and students came together in the Paddock for activities and a performance that put our moves to shame!

On 9 June we held our first dementia-friendly café, planned with Runnymede Dementia Carers Group and our volunteers, where we enjoyed afternoon tea and made birthday cards for the Queen.

We collaborated with Forest Estate Community Hub to run a bee-friendly session for families, looking at how we can all do things to help these amazing creatures.

On 7 and 8 May we held our first on-site volunteering sessions as a group since the last lockdown. The team surveyed meadow plant species in order to understand where we need to focus conservation efforts for the future.

From April, the Habitat Monitoring team will be undertaking two new transect routes monitoring bees and butterflies. We thank both the Butterfly Conservation Charity and Bumblebee Conservation Charity for their support and look forward to working with them to ensure we’re doing all we can to look after our wildlife.

Surrey County Archaeology Unit, with Hannah Potter as Project Archaeologist, begins work with the team to develop opportunities for community and volunteer involvement in archaeology, and increase our knowledge and understanding of the history of the site.

The first stage of Mike Roberts’s artist residency features a sound installation of birdsong in the Magna Carta tea-room, recorded at Runnymede in the spring of 2020. You’re invited to relax and reflect on the freedom of birdsong and respond by adding a written ‘leaf message’ to the freeSong tree mural in the tea-room or record a voice message to be used in the next stage of the project – an audio trail of sonic bird boxes at Runnymede.

Runnymede Voices is a 12-strong panel from the local community who the project team have been working with to develop a brief for the new interpretation plan at Runnymede and Ankerwycke. The focus for the group is on the landscape history of the site, covering both sides of the River Thames and discussing how we can best share the area’s rich past.

Phase 2 habitat surveys were undertaken by ecologists for water voles, otters and reptiles, and a bat survey at the Ankerwycke Jetty site; a more in-depth survey to assess evidence for species and the potential impact of works on them if found.

This creative project for five- to 13-year-olds will have a different theme for each month, starting with Freedom. Each theme will be inspired by key aspects of the Magna Carta. We're asking for artwork or soundpiece submissions, with each piece linking to the monthly theme.

Through the project’s community links, the Runnymede Magna Carta tea-room and project staff were able to share fresh food remaining after closure with local community members who are particularly vulnerable at the moment.

Mike Roberts, acclaimed composer, musician and sound artist, has been appointed to transform the way visitors experience the sites of Runnymede and Ankerwycke. From early 2020 he will be working in collaboration with schools and local communities to develop his proposal of solar powered ‘sonic bird boxes’ which will be inspired by sounds and themes at Runnymede.

A team of ecologists have been on the Thames on a beautiful autumn day undertaking a survey of macrophytes (plants growing in or near water). Their report enhances our understanding of the riverside and will help shape our activity and capital plans.

Topographical and ecological surveyors have been at Runnymede recently, preparing assessments for improved paths. Their findings assist our landscape architect to design paths that are accessible and fitting for the landscape.

The first dragonfly training session was held for volunteers and included a visit to Langham Ponds to identify and photograph them. Trained volunteers will be able to carry out surveying at Runnymede and Ankerwycke, contributing not only to our knowledge of land and nature here, but feeding into vital national surveying.

Runnymede’s landscape set the stage for The People's Pageant, a performance of local actors and musicians re-visioning the 1934 Runnymede Pageant, created by artist Estella Castle. Working with local museums, universities, community groups and individuals, Estella uncovered stories associated with the history of Runnymede and the staging of the 1934 Pageant and created a series of tableaux performed by the Magna Carta Memorial.

The old boardwalk bridge at Langham Ponds (a Site of Special Scientific Interest) was rotten, obscured by vegetation and little used. To improve visitor safety and access the immediate surrounding area was cleared and a new walkway installed.

The Magna Carta tea-room in the South Lodge at Runnymede reopened after renovations which have made the building more accessible and brighter. The renovations included restoring a doorway and corridor to create a new step-free entrance, redesigning the servery so that it is accessible to people in wheelchairs, and better use of space inside, allowing easier movement.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, plans to help visitors discover more about this special place and enjoy it for recreation, learning and volunteering can go ahead. Funding of £1.6 million from the National Lottery will help to unify two sites of international significance, Runnymede and adjacent Ankerwycke, with improved pathways and interpretation, and a new ferry crossing across the River Thames.

The Runnymede Explored project receives funding of £125,000 from the Heritage Lottery fund, kickstarting our ambitious plans to open up Runnymede and Ankerwycke for everyone to enjoy.