More about Glastonbury...
Glastonbury, on the ancient Isle of Avalon, isn't an ordinary English town. Arrive here, and quickly you're in another realm.
It's a pilgrimage place. People come here from all over Britain and the world. Many remember their visit for a long time. Many also come back for more or visit regularly.
It's a place for interesting experiences, meeting people, unusual events. It does something to you.
England's holyest earthe
In medieval times Glastonbury Abbey was one of Europe's greater pilgrimage places, and the town grew up to service it. King Arthur and Guinevere were reputed to be buried here, and many saints once lived here – Patrick, David, Bridget, Benedictus, Dunstan.
Tradition has it that Joseph of Arimathaea and his early Christian followers found refuge on Avalon, to found the world's first purpose-built church. Christian for five centuries before Canterbury, Glastonbury became England's 'holyest earthe'.
A mistier tradition tells of Joseph bringing Jesus here as a young man. This prompted William Blake's song Jerusalem: "And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England's pastures green...?"
Glastonbury Abbey was eventually destroyed in 1539 during a painful time of cultural cleansing under king Henry VIII – the dissolution of the monasteries.
Ancient roots
Before Jesus' time Avalon was the home of a Druid college and it hosted one of Britain's three perpetual choirs, as noted in the Celtic Triads. Further back it was a megalithic centre along with Avebury and Stonehenge – when the banks on the sides of the Tor were most likely shaped. Goddess traditions from ancient times survived through to the Middle Ages and have revived today in a new form – local women play a prominent role in the town.
Modern times
From 1900 onward increasing numbers of visionaries, occultists, artists, musicians, healers and unique characters moved here. From the 1960s, a new generation arrived, 'alternative types', who today form around 30% of the population. To the dismay of some locals! Yet it revived the town's life and its dwindling farming and industrially-based economy.
People
Today roughly one-third of people were born and bred here, one third are 'middle-English' incomers, and one-third are alternative types. This isn't clear-cut. The majority of residents are open, tolerant, independent-thinking people who love living in a variegated, cosmopolitan place.
It's a good place for young people and a town of individualists and 'cultural creatives'. The local economy runs on a mixture of the visitor trade, small manufacturing, farming, charities and social services, with a wide variety of self-employed specialists and people commuting to Bristol and other neighbouring towns.
Landscape
Glastonbury shares its life with two other central Somerset towns, Street, one mile/2km away, a former shoe-making industrial town (now famous for Clarks Village, a shopaholics' paradise), and Wells, five miles/8km away, a genteel ecclesiastical town nestling under the Mendip Hills.
West of Glastonbury are the Somerset Levels, a large partially-drained wetland graced with several big nature reserves – a veritable bird city with herons, swans, geese, ducks and, in winter, enormous starling flocks.
The town is overlooked by the Tor, a prominent sacred hill. It stands on a former island (actually, an isthmus), the Isle of Avalon.
The Levels were drained in recent centuries, starting in the 1620s, prompted by disastrous tsunami in 1607. Until then Avalon was isolated, a place set apart. Nowadays you can easily drive here by road, yet Glastonbury still lives in its own very unique reality-bubble.
Spirit of place
For some, it's an ordinary, provincial small town. For others it is a global spiritual centre, held dear by 'independent spirits' and Christians alike – a multi-faith centre.
We have Protestant, Catholic, Celtic Orthodox and freethinking Christians, spiritualists, pagans, Buddhists, Krishnas, shamans, Goddess-worshippers and all manner of other free spirits. It gets a bit crazy sometimes, but this is healthy for the soul!
It's colourful, busy, vibrant, an up-and-down kind of place – sometimes warm, open and friendly, sometimes challenging. That's its fascination.
The 'Angel of Glastonbury' reflects back to each person whatever is just underneath the surface for them. It gives you exactly what you need – even if you didn't know you needed it! This strong 'power of place', its people, visitors, atmosphere and magic all contribute to make the place unique.
Which is why, if you've never been here before, it might be worth coming to visit. See you soon!
Look through this site to find out more. By clicking NEXT you'll be led through the whole lot.
Visit Glastonbury's other hub sites too – they each serve a different purpose:
Glastonbury Online for town information
Virtual Glastonbury records town life
Avalon Connections for links to Glastonbury's hundred or more websites.
Isle of Avalon
This page designed and written at Easter 2005 by Palden Jenkins. Pictures with many thanks to Lesley Delamont (mainly) and Bill Glenn.