Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, that is magical, colourful, inspiring, and utterly unique. The town has been, and still is for millions, England's most sacred place. It is at the centre of many of Britain's myths and legends.

Somerset

Glastonbury

Glastonbury Abbey

Glastonbury Tor

Wearyall Hill

Glastonbury Cross

Chalice Well

Glastonbury Thorn

South Cadbury

Dunster

Brent Knoll

Bath

Pomparles Bridge

Wookey

Bride's Mound

Glastonbury is a religious centre of England like no other and the home of Christianity in Britain.

Nearly 2000 years' ago, it was on the enchanted Island of Glass (or Ynys-witrin) that is now the town itself, that St Joseph of Arimathea and his followers landed in England with The Holy Grail. 

Wearyall Hill stands like a long narrow ridge, into whose soil St Joseph planted his staff, and from it sprouted the Glastonbury Thorn. There are some descendants of that original thorn still grow in Glastonbury today.

Glastonbury Tor, rising almost supernaturally from the Isle of Avalon, is now the home of the Goddess, as worshipped today by many, and a doorway to the Otherworld of the Celtic believers. Arthur was at Glastonbury, as warrior and king.

Excalibur was forged at Glastonbury.

It was to the Isle of Avalon, across the misty waters, that the wounded King Arthur floated by barge, on which to recover from the gore of battle and to sleep. It is from his rest on Avalon where King Arthur awaits the time when the waste land is all around, and England is once more in peril. And from whence he shall return as The Future King.

Glastonbury Abbey, now a majestic ruin, was the most popular pilgrimage in medieval England and the richest monastery in the land. Services takes place regularly. Some evidence of Arthur's connection with Glastonbury comes in the form of the Glastonbury Cross.

The Chalice Well is associated with healing and with the Holy Grail. Still visited by thousands each and every year, in Glastonbury the past becomes the present.

Glastonbury Tor is still a religious site. Today all that survives is the tower of St. Michael's Church. The original church was destroyed in an earthquake in 1275. Its location suggests that a monastery or prayer cell may have been there before the church. And before the hill top had a Christian place of worship, it might have been a pagan religious site.

The famous command of Pope Gregory enjoining the faithful to turn pagan shrine into Christian ones may have been what happened here. Many churches on high land are dedicated to the Archangel Michael for it is he that will combat the evil dragon in Apocalyptic literature.

Indeed, St. Patrick himself is said to have discovered a religious hermitage here in the late 5th century. He stayed alone in St Michael's old church for three months praying and fasting, before a miraculous sign bade him come down from the Tor. He decreed that from then on at least two monks from the local monasteries should always be staying in the small cell praying and fasting.

If you visit Glastonbury you cannot help but be exhilarated from the experience. A friend once said, 'You get two sorts of people: those that have been to Glastonbury, and those that haven't.'

Why is Glastonbury believed to be the ancient and mysterious Isle of Avalon where King Arthur was taken to be healed of his fatal battle wounds?

Glastonbury lies in the middle of Somerset, miles from the sea. How could it ever have been considered an island?

Glastonbury is built on high ground surrounded on all sides by the Somerset Levels, some of the flattest land in the country. Today it is a rich agricultural area due to massive drainage over the centuries. In the Dark Ages, however, the Levels were marshland and Glastonbury stood proud as an island towering above them.

Glastonbury's ancient British name was Ynys Witrin, which may be translated as Island of Glass. However, another interpretation is that the name comes from the Island of St. Gwytherin. St Gwytherin may have lived in the Dark Age buildings excavated on the Tor.

Glastonbury was cut off from the mainland by a defensive bank and ditch known today as Ponter's Ball, while Pomparles (Pont-Perles) or the Perilous Bridge, kept communications open with land to the south. Some say, it was at Pomparles Bridge that Sir Bedwyr returned Excalibur to the swirling waters after the Battle of Camlann.

Avalon was the Otherworld home of one of the Celtic Underworld Gods, Afallach. Both names relate to the Apples that grew in this mystical land of the dead and show Avalon's possible relationship to other legendary realms such as the Garden of the Hesperides from Greek Mythology.

This is where a Celtic King, such as Arthur, would go when near to death, but there is still no hint of an identification with Glastonbury. The dubious Isle of Glass interpretation of the place-name could relate to Caer-Wydyr or "Fort of Glass," a third name for part of the Celtic Otherworld; but the real confirmation comes when you hear and old legend about Glastonbury Tor.

The Tor, that dominates the countryside around Glastonbury, is said to be the entrance to Annwfn, the Celtic Underworld, and the Palace of Gwynn ap Nudd, the primary Underworld God and Afallach's brother stands within it.

The 7th century hermit, St. Collen was often told that Gwynn lived there, but the saint would have none of it; until, one day, he was invited to visit by one of the God's fairy-folk followers. He entered the Tor and the Fairy Palace, and sat through a fairy banquet but refused to eat anything. He then flung holy-water all around him, and the whole scene disappeared.

So Glastonbury was considered to be the entrance to the Celtic Underworld, be it Annwfn or Avalon, and this is wh the town is said to be the Isle of Avalon.
 

Useful Links

With this link from the BBC you can explore Glastonbury, including The Tor, Glastonbury Abbey, Chalice Well, St John's Church, The Tribunal, Market Place, and the Somerset Rural Life Museum.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/nature/walks/index.shtml

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