A NEW Odiham website has launched, detailing how the village will celebrate the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta.
The website hopes to promote what’s going on in Odiham and North Warnborough, and it lists events that will take place to mark the anniversary next year.
As reported in The Gazette, villagers have been keen to build on Odiham’s history for the celebrations.
King John’s Castle, by the Basingstoke Canal, was where the monarch departed on June 10, 1215, to meet baronial leaders at Runnymede in Berkshire.
Their agreement formed the basis for the Magna Carta – a document that listed basic rights, including that no-one was above the law.
Volunteers will hold a series of events, including the premiere of the Magna Carta anthem, which took place at All Saints Church, in The Bury, Odiham, last Friday.
David Natzler, acting clerk of the House of Commons, introduced the evening event, before the anthem was played.
Dr Louise Wilkinson, an author and academic, then gave a talk about the de Montfort Parliament of 1265, which added democracy to the Magna Carta.
To see details of other events in the village, visit odihammagna carta.com.
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