The Glastonbury Festival is not the only great thing about the town of Glastobury, there is also the Tor and Abbey as well which are well worth a trip if you want to indulge in a bit of west country history.
When the Aussie visited me in the UK in 2011 we did a bit of a UK road trip which included Glastonbury and I think its fair to say he really enjoyed his visit to Glastonbury.
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey is situated on 36 acres of beautiful land. It is one of England’s earliest Abbeys and is a really interesting place to visit because of the history involved.
You can read about the history of the Abbey here. It is said that King Arthur is buried at the Abbey and it is believed that there is a connection to Avalon at the Abbey as well.
The old kitchen still exists in the grounds but much of the actual Abbey is now in ruins as you will see from my pictures. Even from the ruins though you can see how big and impressive the Abbey would have been.
I think that every time I have visited the Abbey it has been raining which is always interesting when there is no roof but it didn’t dampen the visit đŸ˜‰ and I still found it really interesting to wander around. The grounds are also very nicely maintained so worth spending the time to take a stroll through.
Glastonbury Tor
The Tor is full of history and according to the National Trust, excavations at the top of the Tor have revealed the plans of two superimposed churches of St Michael, of which only a 15th-century tower remains. Glastonbury Tor is known as being one of the most spiritual sites in the country. Its pagan beliefs are still very much celebrated.
When I was at primary school I remember visiting and walking all the way up to the top of the Tor which is 525ft high. Once you reach the top of the Tor, you will on a good day have views of beautiful Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Wales.
Historically Abbot Richard Whiting was executed here in 1549 on the orders of Thomas Cromwell, the first Earl of Essex.
As I will shortly returning to Darwin this is the end of my Somerset series but if you are ever in the UK and get the opportunity you really should pay Somerset a visit!
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