RUNNYMEDE

borough (district) in the northwestern part of the administrative and historic county of Surrey, England. Runnymede lies to the west of London on the River Thames. It is largely rural in character and includes a considerable portion of Windsor Great Park as well as the riverside Runnymede meadows, 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Egham; these meadows are celebrated as the place where King John granted the Magna Carta on June 15, 1215. The Runnymede meadows are now owned by the National Trust and are open to the public. Situated on Coopers Hill, overlooking the river, are memorials commemorating the Magna Carta and the British Commonwealth airmen who died in World War II. At the foot of the hill, by the river, there is a memorial to U.S. president John F. Kennedy, unveiled in 1965. Area 30 square miles (78 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) 76,400.