The Runnymede Memorial
The Kennedy Memorial is situated at Runnymede, the meadow on the banks of the Thames where King John sealed the Magna Carta in 1215.
Although the Kennedy Trust is responsible for the Memorial, it is maintained by the National Trust and you can find out more about the area and see a map at the National Trust website.
The Memorial was designed by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, who drew on Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan's allegory of life as a journey, as inspiration for the design of the site.
There are three elements to the Memorial:
- a stepped pathway, made up of 60,000 granite setts winds up through woodland to bring the visitor to the glade where ...
- ... a seven tonne block of Portland stone (pictured) stands on a plinth and is inscribed with words taken from President Kennedy's inaugural address in 1961
- a paved pathway leads to the Seats of Contemplation (the end of the journey) from where there is a superb view of Runnymede
The Memorial was opened by the Queen on the 14th May 1965 in the presence of the Prime Minster and many members of the Kennedy family. It was listed in 1998.