Trowbridge will play a part in the 800th anniversary celebrations of the Magna Carta in 2015.

In 1215, 25 barons were elected to ensure King John honoured the Magna Carta, the first charter to limit the power of the king and to uphold the rights of individuals.

Trowbridge was the headquarters of Baron Henry de Bohun, and last month former Trowbridge mayor Angela Milroy joined 16 other town representatives from across England to form the Magna Carta Barons Association.

She said: “It is brilliant. We are planning to do lots of events around the history of the town and around the legacy of the Magna Carta. We are getting quite excited about it. We have a long and rich history in Trowbridge.

“We need to celebrate the Magna Carta because if the constitution is not based on the rule of law then we end up with dictatorship. If it wasn’t for the barons, the charter may not have survived.

“We will bid for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to help us celebrate and we hope to involve secondary schools and our twinning town, but it is early days.”

Chairman of the association Peter Sinclair approached all the towns and villages associated with the barons and asked if they wanted to celebrate their towns’ existence.

He said: “It is important to continue to teach people about the Magna Carta because it was one of the earliest documents referring to people’s liberties. It was a starting point for many people.”