Visit Glastonbury

It is great fun living close to Glastonbury, this market town in the ancient isle of Avalon with its interesting myths and legends and folk law: - is this the burial place of King Arthur? Or from the tales of Joseph of Arimathea and the Holy Grail : did he establish the first church in England? …  and many more……..

There are some interesting places nearby for you to visit, eg  the  525ft high  Glastonbury Tor -with spectacular views over the Somerset levels;  you can at times see three counties. The enigmatic conical hill topped with the roofless St Michael’s church, with its seven deep terraces and at the base of the Tor,  the  Chalice  Well with its reddish tinged water caused by the water’s  Iron content.

Glastonbury Abbey is entered through an imposing arched gateway. By the middle ages the Abbey had become the richest Abbey in England. This site also carries its mythology, and  in the grounds there is a thorn tree of a variety  common in the Middle East which usually blooms at Christmas time.   The story has it that in about 60AD, St Joseph of Arimathea thrust his Staff into the ground and the tree took root.  Glastonbury Abbey’s best preserved building is the old Abbot’s kitchen;  this building gives the illusion of being round due to the octagonal roof. Take time to explore the roofless structure with architectural detailing, recessed arches of the door, and the arcading repetitive form that rings the interior that is the Chapel of St Mary. On a small lawn King Arthur and Queen Guinevere are reputed to have been buried here  although the Monks in the 12th century needed a financial boost  and found an engraved stone with some bones under it: could this have been a convenient discovery to boost flagging finances?   Part of the complex but outside the grounds is a tithe barn and this is now the Somerset Rural Museum.  Just a little snippet: - we get all our hot and cold smoked trout for Breakfast from Mere which is where the Abbey’s Fish were cured.

Shopping in Glastonbury could be a little quirky  with a mixture of New Age and Alternative Interests  with some spirituality, paganism, crystals, books and Art work. The famous Glastonbury festival takes place a few miles out of the town at Pilton .

Accommodation Near Glastonbury

If you are looking for a boutique hotel or luxury bed and breakfast accommodation from which to visit Glastonbury, then Stoberry House is the perfect place to base yourself.