SALISBURY Cathedral has received a special glass disc containing a copy of Magna Carta that can last for eternity.

The disc was presented to the Cathedral earlier this month on the very day Magna Carta was sealed more than 800 years ago.

The optical disc, which is made of nanostructured glass, can store vast amounts of data and is capable of surviving for billions of years.

It will be displayed as part of the Cathedral’s Magna Carta Exhibition, the centrepiece of which is the UNESCO listed 1215 Charter.

Professor Sir David Payne, director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton, said the disc represented the meeting of history and science.

He said: “A one-inch glass disc is inscribed with Latin and English versions of the Magna Carta.

“It is thrilling to think that we have created the technology to preserve vital documents and store it for unlimited periods for future generations.

“This technology archives one of the most significant historical documents known to the human race: all we’ve learnt will not be forgotten.”

Salisbury Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese.

The Diocese includes 95 per cent of Dorset.

The Very Reverend June Osborne, Dean of Salisbury, said: “We are delighted to receive this gift from the University of Southampton preserving Magna Carta, especially today of all days, its 801st anniversary.

“This is important new science and we are very excited to be able to share with our thousands of visitors this development, which enables encapsulation of data for all time but also reminds us of the enduring nature of Magna Carta and what is enshrined within it.”

The Optoelectronics Research Centre’s research into a 5D optical storage has enabled a way to retain immense quantities of data - up to 360 TB of data on a single CD sized disc.

The information stored on the disc is recorded within structural modifications in fused quartz glass. The discs can withstand fire and temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees C.