Magna Carta Chapter House

The chapter is a part of salisbury Cathedral. from the nave to the right end opposite the chapal of saint michael the archangel. an exit leads to the corridor where cafe/washroom/cloister and Magna carta chapter house.it is an exhibition about Magna Carta. the original copy was displayed in an accessible controlled area. the translation of Magna Carta was convincing. do visit.What is Magna Carta?Magna Carta means ‘great charter’ in Latin.It was agreed by King John on 15 June 1215 as a way of making peace with a group of English barons (noblemen) and church leaders. The barons were protesting against high taxes demanded by King John from the English people to pay for his wars against France.Magna Carta limited the powers of the monarchy. It said that the King or Queen was subject to the law and could not exploit their position and power to rule just as they wanted to. Magna Carta also stated that individuals had specific rights.In Magna Carta King John agreed many clauses (promises), not just about taxes, but on many other issues important to the English people in the 1200s. These included: the rights of widows, the seizing of corn and horses, and the standardisation of measures for wine and cloth. Most of the clauses listed in Magna Carta have now been replaced by new laws but two key clauses are still part of English law today. These two clauses assert the rights and freedoms of individual citizens.Our Magna Carta was delivered to the first Salisbury Cathedral at Old Sarum in 1215, probably by Elias Dereham, who was present when King John agreed Magna Carta. Elias later became a priest at Salisbury Cathedral and oversaw the building of the current Cathedral from 1220 onwards.Another Salisbury connection with Magna Carta is William Longespée, 3rd earl of Salisbury. He is named in Magna Carta, and was an important English baron. William, and his wife Ela, laid two of the Cathedral’s foundation stones in 1220. courtesy of :https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/discover/magna-carta/

Beautiful part of the cathedral which houses the best preserved copy of the Magna Carta, one of 4 remaining in existence. It is a must see! In addition, the room itself is incredible with stained glass windows on each wall and when the sun shines outside, they light up the central column. No photography is allowed inside the Magna Carta viewing room for preservation purposes. Translations are provided.

Fascinating place with some great displays that bring the Magna Carta's importance up to date. A great set of carvings telling the story on the book of Genesis with helpful info about that and other things available.

Absolutely stunning windows. Very light and high. Magna Carta copy itself was in a case, in a'tent' to protect it from the light. No photos of it allowed.

I recently visited the Magna Carta Chapter House and it was an excellent experience. The chapter house is a beautiful and historic building that is well-maintained and provides an interesting glimpse into the past. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, and provided a lot of information about the history of the chapter house and the Magna Carta itself. The exhibits were well-done and informative, giving a good understanding of the context and significance of this important document. Overall, I highly recommend visiting the Magna Carta Chapter House for anyone interested in history, it was an informative and excellent experience

My Mother and Father took my brother and my sister and I to see the Magna Carta in 1964 I was very impressed and it made a lasting impression and impact on my life and at 14 I was very Interested in the history of that time

History in your eyes and emotions of past humanity achievements

Such a splendid part of the cathedral! I was fascinated by how the people who built the place wrote the story on the walls in carvings craved into the stone. The place is truly unique and has a history of thousands of years. I can't wrap my head around how much work people used to put into this and how beautiful and authentic things they created. I learned a lot for the short time I spent there because they were closing. I forgot to ask for the name of the man who was so very kind to share about the story of the place with me but he was amazing and I am grateful for his time and help! The peace of Magna Carta and it’s history is fascinating as well! I never expected to see such thing but I am so glad that I did.

There are four remaining copies of Magna Carta. Two are in the British Library, one is in Lincoln Castle and the other in Salisbury cathedral. This is apt as the cathedral was founded by King John's half-brother.Whilst I fully accept that the document is extremely important both to history and to me as an Englishman, I'm not convinced that the Chapter House is the right location for it. The cathedral has a lot of real estate, much of it unused, so I feel sure that they could find somewhere else. The hype of the document, to my mind, detracts from the significance of the chaper house, which is an extremely impressive structure in itself.

Interesting to see original document. Beautiful place in beautiful setting