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Durham Cathedral will be displaying its three rare Magna Cartas for the first time in eight years for the 800th anniversary of the 1225 issue in our collection.
From 11 July to 2 November 2025, visitors will be able to see the rare documents as part of a new exhibition, Magna Carta and the North. On display will be the only surviving 1216 Magna Carta, along with issues from 1225 and 1300, and three Forest Charters - practical documents granting access to land and natural resources.
Magna Carta, or the ‘Great Charter’, has been described as the most famous document in English history and a cornerstone of modern democracy. First issued in 1215, it was the first document that put into writing that the king and his government were not above the law, in order to prevent the king from exploiting his power. With three clauses from the 1225 Magna Carta still in force today, the document remains a cornerstone of British democracy.
The last time the Magna Cartas and the Forest Charters were on display at Durham Cathedral was in the summer of 2017 when almost 19,000 people came to see them over an 11-week period.
To celebrate the anniversary and the display of these rare surviving documents, the cathedral is also planning to host temporary installations and community-focused artworks throughout the cathedral that will tell the story of these 800-year-old documents that are still a powerful symbol of social justice in the world today.
From 11 July to 2 November, visitors will be able to get up close to the documents in the Durham Cathedral Museum.
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