From Magna Carta to Malcolm X: sites that shaped British civil rights

Pay tribute to brave campaigners, the first trade unionists, gay rights protesters and suffragettes at these landmark places around the UK

A year of Covid has pushed civil rights into the spotlight as never before. As fundamental freedoms to go outside and gather have been suspended, people have nonetheless taken to the streets to protest against racial inequality and the denial of Britain’s history of slavery, and to demand safe streets for women – and even the right to protest itself.

With the country slowly easing open following the winter lockdown, it feels an appropriate moment to look at travel through the prism of civil liberties, with a tour of the UK milestones on the road from feudalism to freedom. If you’ve ever wanted to pay your respects to Emily Pankhurst or the activists who helped propel racial equality laws through parliament, point your compass to these civil rights landmarks.