Lincoln Castle; a centre of national events, walk the entire curtain wall, see two mottes, a Victorian prison and a very rare copy of Magna Carta.

/ Lincoln Castle/

Lincoln Castle is an amazing place to visit with its complete circular wall that can be walked with great views of the nearby cathedral. It is rather unusual with two Norman mottes and its history of numerous medieval sieges. All the medieval sieges were of national importance and featured King Stephen, King Richard, King John and the nine year old King Henry III. In 1217, the castle was pounded by boulders fired from massive catapults known as trebuchets as part of the Battle of Lincoln. Victory of Henry III’s army led by the heroic, William Marshall, just outside the castle walls put an end to English rebels and French troops claiming the English crown for Prince Louis of France. Lincoln Castle, has its own copy of the original Magna Carta on display, an audio visual display explaining this highly important document and a small but fascinating museum. The castle grounds also house a Georgean and Victorian prison where original cells can be visited. Lastly, it even has its own resident dragon!

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"Da Vinci Code", the Knights Templar and William Marshall, the "greatest knight that ever lived", see it all in the Temple Church hidden in the City of London.

/ Temple Church/

The Temple Church was the headquarters of the Knights Templar in London. The Templars have a fascinating history, have been linked to the “Holy Grail” and in modern times have featured in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. In the film of book of his book, the key characters visit the temple in their quest to find the grail. In 1215 AD, it was the place that key negotiations for Magna Carta took place in the reign of King John. On stepping inside the Temple Church, eight effigies can be observed , one of which is William Marshall, known as “the greatest ever knight”.

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What was Magna Carta and why was it important?

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Magna Carta is seen by many historians as one of the most important documents in history because it established first in 1215, the principle that everyone is subject to the law, even kings and queens and it guarantees the rights of individuals, the right to justice and the right to a fair trial. It is significant because it put England on the way to democracy. Over time the powers of English kings were curtailed especially in the 17th Century. Furthermore, Magna Carta is often cited as having strongly influenced the American Bill of Rights in 1791 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rightist 1948. You can see it at Salisbury Cathedral, Lincoln Castle and the British Library London.

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