Today we celebrate the signing of Magna Carta in 1215. Magna Carta was a bill of rights signed by King John to assuage the anger of his barons who were threatening to rebel. The document contained 63 clauses, the most significant being clause 39: “No free man shall be seized, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, exiled or ruined in any way, nor in any way proceeded against, except by the lawful judgement of his peers and the law of the land. ”
Quite where, precisely, Magna Carta was signed, no one really knows. But it is most definitely somewhere near the Thames Path at Runnymede. A number of monuments have been erected including one (pictured) by the American Bar Association in 1957. The US based some of its constitution on the contents of Magna Carta.
This is a quick roundup of some of the businesses that have opened up on and around the Thames.
All the car parks in the Cotswold Water Park are now open. The Park is urging motorists to pay by phone so as to avoid touching the machines.
The cycles and pathways around Dorchester on Thames are being cleared in anticipation of a “surge in demand”. The council has also implemented one-way systems for narrow paths.
Thames Clippers, the boat service that operates between Putney and Woolwich, just past the Thames Barrier, has restarted on a reduced timetable and safety measures in force. The social distancing also means they can carry more bikes than before!
On Thursday this week, the gardens at Hampton Court Palace will re-open.
The London Wetland Centre, 100 acres of former reservoir near Barnes, is open this week but must be booked in advance
The Chelsea Physic Garden has re-opened. Home to more than 5,000 plants this was originally the Apothecaries’ Garden, founded in 1673 for the growth of medicinal plants. Well worth a visit if walking on the left bank of the Thames through London. Nearby Fulham Palace, former home of the Bishops of London, will follow suit on June 29.
Finally as churches start to prepare to welcome back their congregations, St Mary’s in Mortlake will be open from 12pm to 2pm every day during the week for private prayer.
The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University’s museum of art and archaeology, has a series of online lectures available covering a range of subjects from Rembrandt to insects in your garden. Next up on Friday is Shakespeare & the Plague.
And staying in Oxford, the BBC reported on a short film produced by local photographer, Richard Wakefield, on the city’s deserted streets. The short 2 minute clip is available on YouTube
Henley Festival, which was to have been held in July immediately after the Royal Regatta, will go ahead, virtually, on Sunday July 12 at 7.30pm. There will be performances by Will Young, soul-singer Beverley Knight, classical pianist Hao Zi Yoh, and jazz performer Joe Stilgoe as well as comedy from Rory Bromner. The show will be presented by cricketer David Gower.
BBOWT (that’s Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wilidlife Trust) have published a list of the top 10 wildlife to see in June including animals, insects and flowers. Included in the list are otters which can be seen at Chimney Meadows and Cholsey Marsh, both on the Thames Path.
And finally with still no clarity on when hotels will re-open we wait patiently in the hope that normality will soon resume but only when safe. In the meantime we are pressing on with some changes to our website which include a plan of the Thames Path with accommodation, points of interest, refreshments and transport. The purpose is to help walkers get the most out of the Thames Path because, after all, it’s so much more than a walk!
Hope to see you soon!
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