TICKETS have gone on sale for the first public exhibition of Durham’s unique 1216 edition of Magna Carta in its 799-year history.

Celebrations are taking place around the country to mark 800 years since King John and his rebellious barons sealed the landmark Magna Carta in 1215 – and Durham will play a major part.

The city’s cathedral holds three ancient versions of the world-changing charter, from 1300, 1225 and 1216 – the latter the only remaining from the year after the pivotal agreement.

The priceless parchment, hidden in the cathedral’s archives for centuries, will be the centrepiece of a three-month exhibition charting the progress of civil unrest and protest through the ages at Durham University’s Palace Green Library this summer.

Dr Keith Bartlett, the university’s director of culture, said: “Magna Carta establishes the rule of law and is the starting point for our story of rebellion and revolt, through the Wars of the Roses, the Chartists, the Great Reform Act and right up to the Miners’ Strike and the Occupy movement.

“This is the first chance to see the 1216 Magna Carta as part of the 800th anniversary and we’re telling a story people can engage with.

“Palace Green Library’s summer exhibition is a perfect opportunity to view Magna Carta in its anniversary year at the heart of Durham City World Heritage Site.”

The exhibition, housed in hi-tech environmental control conditions, will be Durham’s biggest since the Lindisfarne Gospels in 2013, with 30,000 visitors expected between June 1 and August 31.

Along with Magna Carta, there will be displays, workshops, re-enactments, lectures and more.

Magna Carta and the Changing Face of Revolt will be open daily from 10am to 6pm.

Entry costs £7.50 for adults, £6.50 for children aged five to 16 and concessions and is free for children under five (up to two per paying adult).

Family tickets for two adults and two children cost £25 and group discounts are available.

Entry is via timed tickets and advance booking is recommended. To book, visit the Palace Green Library reception, go online to ticketmaster.co.uk/magna_carta_2015 or call 0844-844-0444.

For more information, visit durham.ac.uk/palace.green.

*See Echo Memories on Saturday for more about the history of the Magna Carta