Egham

Egham’s claim to fame is a meadow. In 1215, on the Thames-side grass of Runnymede, King John sealed Magna Carta at the barons’ insistence, and the idea that even a king must answer to the law took root in a field better known today for picnics and grazing cattle.

That’s rather the charm of the place, and also its puzzle. There’s no castle here and no cathedral, just water meadows, a riverside path and a scattering of memorials that are easy to stroll past without hearing what they have to say. Mark Wallinger’s Writ in Water makes the point beautifully: one clause of the charter can only be read in its reflection on a pool.

VoiceMap’s self-guided audio tours, created by a local historian who grew up in the shadow of Windsor Castle, teach you to read the meadow. Climb the granite steps of the JFK Memorial, on an acre given to the American people, or pull up one of twelve empty bronze chairs at The Jurors. And when the Air Forces Memorial on Cooper’s Hill asks for a slower pace, just hit pause.