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New display for cathedral's 1215 Magna Carta

Karen Gardner & Sophie Parker
BBC News, Wiltshire
Salisbury Cathedral A large white box inside a huge medieval chapter house with stained glass windows and decorative tiled floor. There is an entrance and exit to the box, which makes it appear dark inside, where people can walk into to see the document.Salisbury Cathedral
The new enclosure in the cathedral's chapter house ensures light levels do not get too high

One of the four remaining copies of Magna Carta has been placed inside a new display box to prevent fading and to increase its security.

The document, which was signed in 1215, is based at Salisbury Cathedral and is estimated to be worth more than £20m.

Its new home has upgraded LED light control levels and more safety features.

Salisbury Cathedral's archivist Emily Naish said: "It is in excellent condition. We like to think that ours is the best preserved."

Russell Sach Salisbury Magna Carta - lots of rows of handwritten black ink on yellowed sheepskin vellum.Russell Sach
The Salisbury copy of Magna Carta is believed to be the best preserved of the 1215 copies

Millions of tourists have visited Salisbury to view Magna Carta, which established the right of trial by jury and ensured that no one was above the law.

There was an attempt to steal it in 2018 when a man with a hammer managed to make holes in the protective glass.

Russell Sach Emily Naish looks at the camera - she is wearing glasses and a red cardigan. She has long, grey hair.Russell Sach
Archivist Emily Naish explained that too much light can make the ink fade

"We want to have our Magna Carta on display all year round. We do have to be very careful on light levels," said Ms Naish.

"We've upgraded the security here - on a need-to-know basis exactly what those are."

While there are four copies from 1215, there are later medieval ones, including one made in 1297 that sold in the US for more than £10m in 2007.

Translated from Latin as "Great Charter", most of it is now not relevant, but signed by King John at Runnymede in 1215, it is seen as the foundation of English laws.

It has influenced later documents, including the US constitution.

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