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Egham of Romans, Runnymede and Racing

Archaeological evidence suggests that there were permanent settlements alongside the Thames in the Runnymede area as far back as the neolithic era. Certainly, by the 1st Century AD what is now Egham was on the Roman road from London through Ad Pontes (Staines) to Silchester. Chertsey Abbey owned extensive tracts of land in Egham from the 7th Century onwards with the Manor of Egham being acquired by the Crown following the dissolution of the Abbey in 1537.

Between the 17th and 19th Centuries Egham was a busy coaching town. Until the coming of the railway in 1856 up to 60 coaches a day stopped to change horses. Perhaps not surprisingly, the local inns flourished!

Nowadays Egham is a thriving residential community which is also home to a number of prominent companies including Procter and Gamble, Kerry Foods and the Gartner Group. The sensitively pedestrianised town centre with its range of specialist shops and monthly farmers’ market offers shoppers a welcome alternative to the larger department stores. The communities of Hythe and Pooley Green, to the east of the town centre, still retain much of their original separate identities.

The nearby Runnymede Meadows have long played an important role in both local and national life. The Anglo Saxon form of government, the Witan Council of Leaders, was held there during the reign of Alfred the Great. Indeed, it is thought that the name Runnymede may be derived from the Anglo Saxon ‘Runieg’ (regular meeting) and ‘Mead’ (Meadow). The events of 1215 are recounted elsewhere in this Guide, but what is less well known is that horse racing meetings were held on the Meadows throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The annual three day events attracted thousands of spectators, sometimes including royalty amongst their numbers. Perhaps even more remarkably, an estimated 90,000 people attended performances of a colourful and elaborate historical pageant staged at the site in 1934.

The Meadows, which are owned by the National Trust, are still popular with visitors today. No doubt the attractive riverside setting draws some, but many come to see the Memorials to both the Magna Carta and the late John F Kennedy, President of the United States. The Kennedy Memorial, dedicated by the Queen and Jacqueline Kennedy in 1965, consists of a tablet of Portland Stone inscribed with a quotation from his inauguration address. The ownership of the land on which it stands has been transferred to the United States.