In 1215 the barons of England found themselves in conflict with King John, who was obliged to concede to their complaints. On 15th June of that year, after nine days of talks, the Magna Carta was agreed at Runnymede. It remains the nearest thing to a bill of rights that Britain has ever had. The Magna Carta has also formed the basis of the constitutions of many other countries, including the USA.
The King and his followers were encamped on the north shore at Wraysbury while the Barons and their great forces occupied the meadows of Runnymede, just across the river.
There is no doubt Runingmed or Ronimed was the meadow which served as an encampment for the nobles and their retinues at the time of the sealing of Magna Carta. There is, however, no record of the exact spot where the actual sealing took place. The Magna Carta itself gives no clue other than “in the meadow that is called Runnymede between Windsor and Staines”. The consensus of historical opinion inclines to the view that Magna Carta, or the Great Charter, was given the kings seal on an island in the river and some say that this island is Magna Carta Island which is in the Parish of Wraysbury, rather than the actual meadow of Runnymede.
There was, and still is, a great yew on the small island of Ankerwyke, which stands in the grounds of the now ruined Benedictine convent founded in about 1160, the yew tree must have already been there for 100’s of years and would have been the major tree visible for miles, a social meeting place. A place for the runes to be cast and for laws to be made, and most certainly a law-making tree during the Saxon period of Alfred or Athelstane just over 1,000 years ago.
Back in 2015 it was 800 years from the signing of the Magna Carta and I for one expect that some sort of special protection would have been given to this historical special tree, a green monument status but like the actual Magna Carta history was not exactly kind to either.
Magna Carta Libertatum – translates as “the Great Charter of the Liberties”
1215, King John, confronted by rebellious barons, consented to their demands in order to avert civil war and affixed his seal to the Magna Carta. Just 10 weeks later, Pope Innocent III nullified the agreement, and England plunged into a civil war and the Great Charter was forgotten.
Some 80 years later in 1297, Edward I (Longshanks) reaffirmed the Great Charter, but by this time, of the original 63 clauses only 42 remained. Since then, the Great Charter has been repealed, modified, annulled and suspended by successive monarchs and governments and by the 1969 Statute Law (Repeals) Act, all but three of the clauses in the 1297 Magna Carta had been removed from the law of England and Wales.
One defends the freedom of the English church, another confirms the ancient liberties of London and other towns, while the third paved the way for trial by jury.
Over the last 800 years the Great Charter has changed dramatically –
But still growing quietly on the flood plain of the River Thames, a very special and vast ancient yew tree that has borne silent witness to countless generations.
The Ankerwycke Yew still awaits protection – and if you cast your mind back to 2015 and the third runway discussions for Heathrow with houses and communities that would have been flattened by the vast earthmoving bulldozers to make way for yet more planes and increased traffic which would have also meant one very special historical yew tree would have also been lost, a casualty for man’s ever increasing expansion plans, but thankfully the expansion never happened
Visited the tree for a fourth time back in January this year and wandering around its vast girth you can look inside and see the myriad of writhing internal roots and old white wood, that is wood that has died but being used as scaffolding as the tree has generated new wood which is flowing over this old wood and in a few more hundred years will completely cover and hide this damage. The yew tree’s ability to regenerate itself is fully functional with this historical and very special tree.
- The Ankerwycke Yew – still growing quietly on the flood plain of the River Thames, patiently waiting for us, in case we need it again, lets hope we also are there, if the tree needs our help.
Thank you for listening
Kaliwood 