The ornate beauty can still be seen in the stonework. The Abbey today is surrounded by the town with high walls protecting it from the madness of everyday life. However during the reign of Henry VIII, somewhere between 15 the monasteries were broken up and the buildings and land were handed over (or taken) by the Crown. Over the years the Abbey was added to and modified as the fires and fashions of time took their toll. They built a number of structures in the area including the Abbot’s Fish House at nearby Meare, the only surviving monastic fish house in England. The monks drained the marshes surrounding the town and farmed the area. Glastonbury Abbey has been on the site in a variety of forms since the 7th century, primarily as a monastery. Tucked down a little street, away from the bustle is a little secret which is tranquility amid the madness. It is a fantastic location to watch the sunrise or sunset and is a focal point for many Pagans and Christians. This is all that remains of the 14th Century church of St Michael that had replaced an earlier church destroyed in an earthquake.įrom the Tor it is possible to see out across the Somerset Levels to Dorset and Wiltshire as well as across the Bristol Channel to South Wales as well as the steep Mendip Hills. On top of Glastonbury Tor is a lonely tower. It is also believed that Joseph of Arimathea travelled to Glastonbury and left the Holy Grail in the area and later returned with Jesus while collecting precious metals from the area. The Chalice Well has very deep iron rich red waters and less than 100 meters away is the White Spring with its sweet tasting calcium rich white water. Whether or not this exists two wells that arise from the base of the Tor run with very different coloured spring water. Many believe there is a hidden cave under the hill through which you can pass in to the fairy realm of Annwn. The hill rises 158 metres above the surrounding flat Somerset Levels and is a combination of ‘natural hill’ and man made terraces. It can be seen for miles around including from King Alfred’s Tower on the Stourhead Estate over 30 miles away. Above the town of Glastonbury is the Tor.
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