insideKENT Magazine Issue 39 - June 2015 | Page 15

NEWS

A TASTE OF KENT’S MAGNA CARTA STORY

L-R - Jonathan Neame, Sandra Matthews-Marsh,
Jackie Westlake, Sir Robert Worcester

Kent’s Magna Carta story will go ‘on tour’ this
summer as a brand new travelling exhibition
launches – and a new medieval tipple goes on
sale.
Invited guests gathered at Shepherd Neame
Brewery Store on 30th April for the exclusive
preview party of Magna Carta Rediscovered – a
Kent-wide touring exhibition commemorating
Magna Carta’s links to the Garden of England
(www.magnacartarediscovered.co.uk), and to
sample a new ‘historic’ ale.
15th June 2015 marks 800 years since the
sealing of Magna Carta, the foundation stone of
democracy that paved the way for English
common law and supports the freedoms enjoyed
by nearly two billion people across the world
today.
Visit Kent has been awarded £81,000 of
Heritage Lottery Funding to create a one-off
touring exhibition to showcase Kent’s unique links
to this period of medieval history, bringing neverseen-before artefacts and untold stories of intrigue,
battles and bravery to new audiences across the
county. The centrepiece will be the 1300
Faversham Magna Carta, which leading scholars
credit as one of the most important Magna Carta
artefacts in existence.
The preview party, hosted by Visit Kent and
Shepherd Neame with support from Faversham
Town Council and Southeastern, was the first
opportunity most of the guests had to see the
ancient charter, as it has not been on public

THE GRAND GARAGE
1-11 Harold Road, MARGATE, CT9 2HT 01843 227933 www.grandgarage.co.uk
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display since it was first issued to the town 715
years ago.
Chair of the national Magna Carta Trust
800th committee, Sir Robert Worcester; Shepherd
Neame chief executive, Jonathan Neame; Visit
Kent chief executive, Sandra Matthews-Marsh
MBE; and Faversham T
own clerk, Jackie Westlake
OBE unveiled the charter and led the party in a
toast with Shepherd Neame’s commemorative
1215 ale.
The traditional strong English ale (8% abv)
was brewed to commemorate the Great Charter’s
800th anniversary, and is infused with medieval
ale ingredients such as mugwort, yarrow, woodruff
and fennel, all of which were used before hops
became prolific.
Magna Carta first defined the traditional
measurement of a pint of ale: “There shall be but
one Measure throughout the Realm”. Only 1,215
bottle-conditioned beers have been released for
the anniversary year by the Faversham-based
brewery.
Sandra Matthews-Marsh MBE said: “This
was a wonderful event to mark the start of our
commemoration year. Our exhibition gives people
the chance to explore Magna Carta’s close links
with Kent and its evolution into a universal symbol
of freedom from oppression..."
www.magnacartarediscovered.co.uk
www.visitkent.co.uk