SALISBURY Cathedral, home to the finest of the four surviving original Magna Carta copies, will take a leading role in the 2015 celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of the historic document.

Magna Carta’s legacy has been passed from generation to generation down the centuries and has been of enduring global influence, with its clauses on social justice forming the cornerstone of modern democracy and liberty worldwide and remaining as pertinent today as they were 800 years ago.

Robert Key, chairman of Salisbury Cathedral’s Magna Carta 800th anniversary committee, said: “The cathedral is extremely proud to own the finest preserved of the four surviving original 1215 documents. “We know how important the Magna Carta is to people from across the globe and what it represents for them.

“The 1215 Magna Carta is inscribed in the UNESCO ‘Memory of the World’ register underlining the fact that the documents held by Salisbury Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral and the British Library are regarded amongst the world’s most significant documentary heritage.”

Salisbury Cathedral intends to re-display and re-present its Magna Carta in the newly-conserved Chapter House, safeguarding the document for the future and using the latest interpretation techniques to communicate its historic background and modern significance to the many extra visitors it expects to welcome in 2015.

It also hopes to conserve and repair the cathedral’s medieval Cloisters where the Chapter House is located.

The Dean of Salisbury, the Very Rev June Osborne, said: “Plans are being advanced here at Salisbury Cathedral to commemorate the forthcoming 800th anniversary of Magna Carta by promoting the values and ideals that it represents.

“Our ambition is to present a wonderful mix of spiritual and secular celebrations, promoting justice and freedom in a practical sense, and running a full programme of learning and events for people of all ages.”

Plans for further celebrations are under way and aim to include a lecture series chaired by the Dean of Salisbury featuring international speakers exploring topics inspired by Magna Carta.

The cathedral also has ambitions to present a medieval fair for all the family, a pageant involving hundreds of local people, a special concert, a celebratory Eucharist and a week-long flower festival, as well as other events.

Alongside these events the cathedral’s education department will be working closely with schools throughout the year covering curriculum topics including citizenship and history.

Magna Carta, which is Latin for “Great Charter”, forced King John to proclaim certain liberties and accept that his will was not all powerful, for example by explicitly accepting that no “freeman” could be punished except through the law of the land, a right that still exists.

Further details of Salisbury Cathedral’s Magna Carta 800th anniversary celebrations will be published later this year.