Glastonbury Tourist Attractions
|
|
Glastonbury, situated about 6mi/10km southwest of Wells, has magnificent ruins of an abbey steeped in legend. A thorn bush which flowers at Christmas grows on the spot where St Joseph of Arimathia is said to have sunk his walking stick into the ground.
Abbey
The Glastonbury Abbey has a long history but saw much of its development and expansion between the 12th and 16th C. Although destroyed by Henry VIII, the ruins are still very impressive.
Somerset Rural Life Museum
The former barn (14th century) of Glastonbury Abbey houses the Somerset Rural Life Museum.
Tor
A short stroll around the town can be followed by a walk along Chilkwell Street to the legendary Chalice Well, the spring for the abbey, and then a climb up the nearby Glastonbury Tor, steeped in legend, to St Michael's Tower (Perpendicular Style) from where there are marvelous views.
Surroundings
Sharpham Manor
Sharpham Manor (2mi/3km southwest of Glastonbury) is the birthplace of the writer Henry Fielding (1707-1754) with a door decorated in wrought-iron.
Somerton, England
Somerton is located 2.5 miles northeast of Long Sutton with a roofed Market Cross in the market square. The square in Somerton has a number of notable buildings such as the Town Hall, the Lady Smith Memorial Hall and the 17th century Market House.
Lytes Cary Manor
A National Trust property featuring a chapel from the 14th C and a Tudor Great Hall. The late medieval manor house was once the home of the medieval herbalist Henry Lyte.The garden has been updated to include a mixed shrub, rose and perennial border designed in 1965, and hidden paths through a Yew topiary lead to stunning views of a pool, statue and occassional glimpses of the house. At the foot of the garden there is an orchard of fruit trees.
Fair and Pilgrimage
This annual festival takes place in late June and includes both religious and secular elements. The religious pilgrimage which originally spurred the festival continues today in the Abbey ruins, in this town which is the birthplace of Christianity in England.At the same time, a modern festival complete with contemporary music concerts, dancing performances, food and craft stalls and street entertainment ensures that the festival has something for everyone.
Peat Moors Centre
The Peat Moors Centre in Westhay, near Glastonbury, offers interpretive displays of the Somerset Levels and Moors. The Iron Age is revisited through archeological reconstructions and displays as well as many scheduled activities and events.
Street - Clarks Village & Shoe Museum
The Shoe Museum contains collections of shoes from Roman times to present day. Clarks Village is Britain's first factory shopping development offering everything from footwear to greeting cards. Street is located southwest of Glastonbury.
Churches
Two Glastonbury churches are worth a visit: St Benignus from the early 16th century and St John the Baptist with one of the finest church towers of the area.
Glastonbury Tribunal
Glastonbury Tribunal is a medieval townhouse with a stone facade from the early 1500s. The house was most likely used by a merchant for commercial purposes.
Meare Fish House
Meare Fish House is a well-preserved stone dwelling, probably once the house of the Abbot of Glastonbury's water bailiff.
West Pennard Court Barn
West Pennard Court Barn, near Glastonbury, dates back to the 15th C. It was repaired and donated to the National Trust in 1938.
