|
Overlooking the River Thames
17 miles west of London, Staines was a Roman
settlement in the 1st century AD, occupying a
strategic crossing point. Its museum contains many
Roman artifacts and an exhibition illustrating the
history of linoleum, a floor covering that was
fashionable in the 19th and 20th centuries. A
bronze statue of two workers carrying a roll of
linoleum stands in the High Street. Nearby are
several famous reservoirs.
The Magna Carta was signed at
nearby Runnymede by King John in 1215, and when
London was hit by the plague in 1603 Sir Walter
Raleigh was brought instead to Staines to stand
trial for treason.
|
