Runnymede borough is named after a meadow on the banks of the River Thames. The armies of King John and the Confederate Barons encamped here at the signing of Magna Carta, on 15 June 1215. The area is now the site of several monuments including the Magna Carta memorial and the John F Kennedy memorial designed by Geoffrey Jellicoe.

The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that most of the towns and villages in Runnymede borough then belonged to Chertsey Abbey, around which grew the historically important market town of Chertsey.

The attractive villages of Englefield Green and Thorpe are near Egham. The area boasts many interesting historic buildings including Great Fosters, which began life as a 16th century moated site. Royal Holloway University is an elaborate building with architecture based on several 16th century French chateaux.

The area also contains several landscaped gardens, including Virginia Water and the Savill Garden. The Virginia Water lake was originally laid out in 1746 by the Duke of Cumberland.