Glastonbury Car Parks

If you are visiting Glastonbury town centre for the day by car here is where to park.

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Butt Close
aced.village.mugs
Postcode: BA6 9HY
Number of Spaces: 74
WWW: Somerset Council – Butt Close Car Park

Norbins Road
season.muscular.massaging
Postcode: BA6 9HF
Number of Spaces: 53
WWW: Somerset Council – Norbins Road Car Park

Northload Street West
universal.interval.flopped
Postcode: BA6 9JJ
Number of Spaces: 35
WWW: Somerset Council – Northload Street West Car Park

Silver Street
ahead.organ.questions
Postcode: BA6 8BS
WWW: Britannia Parking – Glastonbury – Silver Street

St Dunstans
hairstyle.adopts.ladder
Postcode: BA6 9EL
Number of Spaces: 68

St John’s
additives.competent.handfuls
Postcode: BA6 9LJ
Number of Spaces: 142
WWW: Somerset Council – St John’s Car Park

Special Event Parking

Herbie’s Field
skirt.explained.groups
A: Northload Bridge, BA6 9LE
Parking for special events such as the Frost Fayre, Carnival, Beltane, Extravaganza etc.

St Dunstan’s School Car Park
went.playroom.abundance
A: Wells Road, BA6 9BU
Parking for special events

Parking for Glastonbury Tor

See this article:

Which Way To Glastonbury Tor?

Customer Only Parking

Morrisons
chiefs.until.tenure
A: Street Road, BA6 9ED
Number of Spaces: 228
Maximum Stay: 3 hours – no return within 2 hours
WWW: Euro Car Parks – Morrisons – Glastonbury

Proper Job
plotter.play.avoiding
A: Northload Street, BA6 9JJ
Maximum Stay: 1 1/2 hours – no return within 30 minutes



Glastonbury Local Food and Drink

Food lovers visiting Glastonbury have a great choice of restaurants, cafes and take-aways.

If you want to sample some local produce during your stay, or want to take some home with you after your stay, this article summarises the fine selection food and drink from producers based in, or just outside Glastonbury.

Always check availability with the producer or stockist before making a special trip.

Bakery

  • Burns the Bread – bread, sandwiches, savouries, cakes and pastries [we ♥ Torsy Moorsy cake]

WWW: Burns the Bread
T: 01458 831532
Available from shops at 14 High Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9DU ( ground.worthy.question ) and St Dunstan’s Car Park, Magdalene Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9EL ( smirking.extension.general ).

Cheese & Butter

  • Batch Farm (East Pennard) – cheese curd, farmhouse cheddar, flavoured cheddar, goats cheese, blue stilton cheese [we ♥ Hot Chilli and Chive Farmhouse Cheddar]

WWW: Batch Farm and Batch Farm – Facebook
T: 0117 3132855
Available online and from the farm shop at Batch Farm, East Pennard, SHEPTON MALLET, BA4 6TU or from Eggs and More or from My Fine Deli.

  • Brue Valley (Baltonsborough) – butter, mozzarella

WWW: Brue Valley and Brue Valley – Facebook
T: 01458 850260
Available from the farm or from Earthfare or from Eggs and More.

  • Green’s of Glastonbury Valley (West Pennard) – cheese [we ♥ Twanger]

Available from Earthfare or from Proper Job at Northload Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9JJ (   foods.unloading.multiples ), My Fine Deli or from Waitrose.

  • Wootton Organic Dairy (North Wootton) – cheese

WWW: North Wootton Dairy
T: 01749 890248
Available from Earthfare.

Cider, Beer and Apple Juice

  • Glastonbury Abbey – cider and apple juice

Available from the Glastonbury Abbey shop at Abbey Gatehouse, Magdalene Street, BA6 9EL (   forgives.doubts.remake )

  • Glastonbury Ales – ale and cider [we ♥ Magog cider]

WWW: Glastonbury Ales
T: 01458 830750
Available online and from the beer shop at Park Corner Farm, Park Corner, GLASTONBURY, BA6 8JY (   digests.lurching.haunt ) or from:

* The George & Pilgrims (pub) at 1 High Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9DP ( took.goofy.curtail )

* The King Arthur (pub) at 31-33 Benedict Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9NB ( reworked.binders.swim )

* The Old Tannery (restaurant & bar) at The Red Brick Building, Morland Road, Morlands Enterprise Park, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9FT ( upper.hits.proclaims )

* Abbey Tea Rooms (restaurant) at 16 Magdalene Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9EH ( saddens.marinated.companies )

* The Blue Note Cafe (cafe) at 4A High Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9DU ( contracts.projects.afraid )

* The Radstock Co-operative Society (the Co-op) at 32 – 34 High Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9DX ( voltages.booklets.supply )

* Earthfare (shop – see below)

* Knights of Glastonbury (restaurant) at 5 Northload Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9JJ ( balancing.dollar.bleat )

* Middlewick Farm Shop (shop – see below)

* Old Oaks (caravan site) at Wick, GLASTONBURY, BA6 8JS ( screening.wicket.firelight )

  • Hecks Cider (Street) – cider, apple juice, cider vinegar. The farm shop also has a range of pickles, chutneys, eggs, mustards, jams, marmalades, honey, cheddar cheese, fruit and vegetables [we ♥ Port Wine of Glastonbury]

WWW: Hecks Cider
T: 01458 442367
Available online and from the farm shop at 9-11 Middle Leigh, STREET, BA16 0LB or from Eggs and More (apple juice and cider vinegar only).

  • Letchford’s Cyder (Parbrook) – cider

WWW: Letchford’s Cyder – Facebook
T: 01458 851231
Available from Old Bakehouse, Parbrook, GLASTONBURY, BA6 8PD.

  • Moons Cider (West Pennard) – cider

WWW: Moons Cider
T: 07714 459963
Available online and from the cider shop at Woodbine Farm, Sticklynch, West Pennard, GLASTONBURY, BA6 8NA.

  • Salvage Cider – cider [we ♥ Salvage Medium cider]

WWW: Glastonbury Reclamation
T: 01458 831122
Available from Glastonbury Reclamation at The Old Pottery, Northload Bridge, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9LE ( remainder.brand.lends ).

Eggs

  • Eggs and More

Available 0600 to 2100 7 days a week from roadside stall at side of 197 Wells Road, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9AW (  shrubbery.climber.copies ).

  • Lower Common Moor Farm

Available from the farm entrance at Black Pit Drove, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9AX (  appealed.respect.branched )

  • Torr View Poultry and Animal Feeds – eggs and local jams

Available from roadside stall at The Old Grey Barn, Alpaca Centre, Dyehouse Lane, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9QS (  mandolin.haystack.expert ).

Fresh Farm Foods

  • Dragon Willows Farm – organic locally grown seasonal fruit & vegetables, free range farm meats, fresh farm eggs, herbs, preserves

WWW: Dragon Willows Farm – Fresh Farm Foods
T: 07785 985643
Available from the farm at Godney Road, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9AF ( mastering.blanks.teaching ) or from Glastonbury Country Market – Town Hall ( reframe.templates.forge ) every Tuesday 0930–1230.

Honey

  • Black Bee Honey (Shepton Mallet) – honey, honey gin and anything to do with bees and honey [we ♥ the seed bombs and Black Bee Honey Gin]

WWW: Black Bee Honey
Available online with free delivery on orders over £25 or from Earthfare, Holland & Barrett or Ocado.

Jam

  • Dinah’s Finest – Blackberry Jelly made from blackberries picked from around Glastonbury Tor

Available from Eggs and More.

Meat

  • Stephens Butchers

WWW: Stephens Butchers – Facebook
T: 01458 832091
Available from the shop at 2 Market Place, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9HD ( differ.widest.vocals ).

Pickles & Ferments

  • Cultjar – (North Wootton) – ferments, pickles, seasonings

WWW: Cultjar
Available online with free delivery on orders of £45 and  addresses within 10 miles of BA4 4AJ or from My Fine Deli.

  • S M Pickles – cabbage, onions, shallots, chicken and quails eggs, beetroot [we ♥ the pickled eggs]

T: 01458 834953
Available from Eggs and More or from My Fine Deli.

Scotch Eggs

  • The Somerset Smokehouse (Meare) – scotch eggs [we ♥ the Falafel Scotch Eggs and The Somerset Scotch Eggs]

WWW: My Scotch Egg and The Somerset Smokehouse – Facebook
T: 01458 860728
Available online or from Wells Market – Market Place every Saturday, 9.30 am – 3 pm.

Snacks

  • Mr Filberts (West Pennard) – gourmet nuts, marinated olives, cured meats, crunchy corn [we ♥ the gourmet nuts]

WWW: Mr Filberts
T: 01458 833744
Available from Middlewick Farm Shop (see below), online or from Ocado.

Water

  • Glastonbury Spring Water

WWW: Glastonbury Spring Water
T: 01458 834344
Available online and from Glastonbury Ales beer shop (see above).

Wine

  • Pennard Organic Wines (East Pennard)

WWW: Pennard Organic Wines
T: 01749 860393
Available online with free delivery within 15 miles and from the shop at Avalon Vineyard, The Drove, East Pennard, SHEPTON MALLET, BA4 6UA.

The best places to source local produce:

  • Bridie’s Yard

A: Northover Buildings, Beckery Old Road, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9NU ( globe.crumples.noble )
WWW: Bridie’s Yard
T: 01458 83057

  • Co-op

A: 32 – 34 High Street, GLASTON URY, BA6 9DX ( voltages.booklets.supply )
WWW: The Radstock Co-operative Society – Glastonbury
T: 01458 831003

  • Earthfare

A: 45 High Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9DS ( overheard.gratitude.flattens )
WWW: Earthfare
T: 01458 831004

  • Eggs and More – see above.
  • Glastonbury Market – wide range of local produce including fresh vegetables, fish, fruit, bread, clothes, herbs.

A: St Dunstan’s Car Park, Magdalene St, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9EW ( legroom.smaller.shocks )
WWW: Glastonbury Market – Facebook
Every Tuesday from 0900-1500.

  • Glastonbury Country Market – products and produce locally handmade, baked and grown.

A: Town Hall, Magdalene St, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9EL ( reframe.templates.forge )
WWW: Glastonbury Country Market – Facebook
Every Tuesday from 0930-1230.

  • Middlewick Farm Shop

A: Wick, GLASTONBURY, BA6 8JW ( suspect.inversely.showrooms road access, fault.shredder.uproot )
WWW: Middlewick Holiday Cottages – Farm Shop & Cafe
T: 01458 832351

  • My Fine Deli

A: 22 High Street, GLASTONBURY, BA6 9DU ( keyboards.sunset.dried )
WWW: My Fine Deli
T: 01458 897464

Can you recommend any Glastonbury local food or drink? Do you know of any stockists of Glastonbury local food and drink?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



A-Z of Glastonbury Cafes

Fancy a cuppa and a slice of cake then this is what’s on offer…

  • Abbey Tea Rooms (a restaurant not a cafe)
    saddens.marinated.companies
    A:16 Magdalene Street, BA6 9EH
    WWW: Abbey Tea Rooms
    T: 01458 832852
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
    Great for… Scones, cream and jam, cake, cottage pie, toasted sandwich, jacket potato, soups, roast dinner, bread, chicken, afternoon tea

    Ratings: Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.5 from 514 reviews, of which 323 (62%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.6 from 320 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘abbey tea rooms glastonbury’)
  • Café Delight
    surprise.dozed.opts
    A: 22 The Gauntlet, St John’s Square, BA6 9QL
    T: 07311 121616
    Special Diets: Vegetarian
    Great for… Indian, home-made fast food
    Ratings: Google star rating 5.0 from 7 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘cafe delight glastonbury’)
  • Coffee Zero
    loosed.dangerously.quail
    A: 42 High Street, BA6 9DX
    WWW: Coffee Zero – Facebook
    T: 01458 835505
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
    Great for… Cake, paninis, coleslaw, hamburger, coffee, all day full english breakfast, smoothies, latte, eggs

    Ratings: Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.0 from 233 reviews, of which 136 (58%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.5 from 363 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘coffee zero glastonbury’)
  • Costa Coffee
    stopwatch.engulfing.commented
    A: Unit 5, Adlams Central Park, Wirrall Park Road, BA6 9XE
    Ratings Google star rating 3.1 from 47 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘costa coffee glastonbury’)
  • Heaphys Café
    masking.hacking.informer
    A: 16 Market Place, BA6 9EU
    T: 01458 837935
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 5.0 from 12 reviews, of which 11 (92%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.1from 187 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘heaphys cafe glastonbury’)
  • Hundred Monkeys
    contracts.projects.afraid
    A: 52 High Street, BA6 9DY
    WWW: Hundred Monkeys
    T: 01458 833386
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
    Great for… Cakes, salad, brownie, quiche, curry, coffee and cake, teas

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.0 from 1174 reviews, of which 464 (39%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.2 from 761 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘hundred monkeys glastonbury’)
  • Middlewick Farm Shop and Café
    suspect.inversely.showrooms and fault.shredder.uproot – public footpath nearest Glastonbury town centre
    A: Wick, BA6 8JW
    WWW: Middlewick – Farm Shop and Café
    T: 01458 832351
    Great for… Cake, sunday roast, chips

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.5 from 24 reviews, of which 19 (79%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.8 from 53 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘middlewick farm shop and cafe’)
  • My Fine Deli
    keyboards.sunset.dried
    A: 22 High Street, BA6 9DU
    WWW: My Fine Deli
    T: 01458 897464
    Special Diets: Vegan Options
    Great for… Wraps, sunday roast, beef, cakes, bread, ploughmans, mezze, cheese, platter

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.5 from 35 reviews, of which 31 (88%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.6 from 64 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘my fine deli glastonbury’)
  • Pyramid Vegan Café
    shadowed.anchors.hotels
    A: 15A High Street, BA6 9DP
    WWW: Pyramid Vegan Café – Facebook
    T: 01458 832775
    Special Diets: Vegetarian, Gluten free
    Ratings Google star rating 5.0 from 40 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘pyramid vegan cafe’)
  • Rainbows End Café
    period.bill.nicknames
    A: 17B High Street, BA6 9DP
    WWW: Rainbows End Café – Facebook
    T: 01458 833896
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
    Great for… Quiche, cakes, salad, falafel, mezze platter, coffee and walnut cake, bread, sweet potato

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.5 from 764 reviews, of which 531 (70%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.6 from 239 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘rainbows end cafe’)
  • The Awen Café – The Assembly Rooms
    releasing.knocking.navy
    A: High Street, BA6 9DU
    T: 01458 834677
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.5 from 20 reviews, of which 16 (80%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here)
  • The Blue Note Café
    contracts.projects.afraid
    A: 4A High Street, BA6 9DU
    WWW: The Blue Note Vegetarian Café – Facebook
    T: 01458 832907
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
    Great for… Burger, veggie chilli, salad, coffee, chip, cider

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.0 from 389 reviews, of which 157 (40%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.3 from 212 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘blue note cafe’)
  • The Grain Store
    grin.jaundice.speeded
    A: Abbey Farm, Chilkwell Street, BA6 8DB
    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 5.0 from 4 reviews, of which 4 (100%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.2 from 5 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘the grain store glastonbury’)
  • The Lazy Gecko Café
    livid.couches.scrapping
    A: 8 Magdalene Street, BA6 9EH
    WWW: Lazy Gecko Café – Facebook
    T: 01458 835624
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
    Great for… Eggs benedict, veggie breakfast, bubble and squeak, hot chocolate, mezze

    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.0 from 426 reviews, of which 233 (54%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.4 from 342 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘the lazy gecko glastonbury’)
  • Tin Pot Pasty Co
    inert.curbed.defrost
    A: 6 Magdalene Street, BA6 9EH
    T: 07853 965435
    Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
    Great for… Pastries, steak, pastie, sausage sandwich, chicken, full english breakfast, cuppa, tomato, egg
    Ratings Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.5 from 184 reviews, of which 122 (66%) were excellent (latest rating and reviews here) Google star rating 4.3 from 48 reviews (for latest rating and reviews Google ‘tin pot pasty glastonbury’)

For takeaway food see this article:

Takeaway Food in Glastonbury – What’s On The Menu?

For restaurants see this article:

Where To Dine Out In Glastonbury

Do know any great cafes in Glastonbury? Which cafe is your favourite?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



Glastonbury Annual Events

If you are planning on visiting (or avoiding!) Glastonbury for one of the many colourful and interesting events then here is what to look out for.

Many events were hit by COVID so where dates for the next event have not been published check with organiser, or where available the organiser’s web presence, if the event is going ahead and if so on what date, before making plans.

January

February

  • Imbolc (Candlemas) – 1st – 2nd February beginning at sundown and continuing until sundown the next day.
  • Glastonbury Calling – A two-day celebration of music with multiple acts performing across multiple venues giving up and coming acts a chance to perform in front of crowds of music fans.
    WWW: Glastonbury Calling – Facebook

March

  • Spring Equinox (Ostara) – Events at various locations most notably Chalice Well, the Glastonbury Goddess Temple and the Assembly Rooms.

Chalice Well Trust – Events

Glastonury Goddess Temple – Event Calendar

The Assembly Rooms of Glastonbury – Upcoming Events

April

  • Glastonbury Road Run – ‘Round the Tor 10K’ run with 5K and 3K events and a junior school fun run that takes place on the Sunday prior to the Early May Bank Holiday each year.
    WWW: Glastonbury Road Run

May

  • Meglithomania Conference – Conference about megaliths, lost civilisations, and earth mysteries.
    WWW: Megalithomania

June

July

  • Glastonbury Pride – Glastonbury Pride celebrates a day of visibility, spirituality and community cohesion for LGBTQ+ people in the town and beyond with events and quiet spaces in and around the town centre.
    WWW: Glastonbury Pride – Facebook
  • The Glastonbury Symposium – The UK’s leading annual alternative conference covering truth issues, mysteries, new physics, conspiracies, crop circles, consciousness, UFOs, metaphysics, health and spirituality.
    WWW: Glastonbury Symposium
  • Lughnasadh (Lammas) – 31st July – 1st August beginning at sundown and continuing until sundown the next day.

August

  • Glastonbury Extravaganza – A spin-off from the Glastonbury Festival, two acts from the previous year’s Glastonbury Festival perform an open-air concert in the historic grounds of Glastonbury Abbey with an amazing fireworks finale. A good excuse to dress up, have a picnic and a dance on a summer evening.
    WWW: Glastonbury Abbey – What’s On
  • Glastonbury Pilgrimages – Glastonbury Pilgrimage Association Annual Pilgrimage (Anglican) held on a Saturday and the Clifton Diocese Annual Pilgrimage (Catholic) held on the Sunday of the same weekend.
  • History of the Anglican Pilgrimage: On 3rd August 1897, an event unique in the history of England took place within the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. The Bishop of Bath and Wells held a service to which he invited all the Bishops of the English-speaking world to celebrate the thirteen hundredth anniversary of the coming of St Augustine to this country. Over 100 Bishops, 6 Archbishops and around 1000 dignitaries and clergy from the Anglican Church took part in a procession from St John’s Church to the Abbey. It has been said that such an imposing procession was never seen, and probably never will be again in the history of the world.
  • History of the Catholic Pilgrimage: On 12th September 1895, the first religious pilgrimage for 356 years was seen on the streets of Glastonbury. Over 1500 Catholic pilgrims walked from the railway station through the town to Glastonbury Tor where a service was held in honour of the last Abbot of Glastonbury Richard Whiting and the two monks John Thorne and Roger James who were also executed on that fateful day in 1539.
  • RITS Day – Riders In The Sky was formed after popular local Lee Baker was tragically killed in a motorbike accident in 2010 and organise several events to raise money for the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. The RITS Day is a day of fun and games and the highlight is a ride out of several hundred motorbikes from Tor Sport and Leisure Centre and adjacent fields.
    WWW: RITS Day – Riders In The Sky and Riders In the Sky – Facebook

September

  • Tor Charter Fair – Glastonbury has a long history of fairs dating back to Saxon times with the first Royal charter granted by Henry I in 1127. It was to last 6 days, 5 before the feast of St Michael, and on the feast day itself. Whilst the traditional fairs are no longer held, the ‘Tor fair’ continues and has evolved in many ways over the years, most notably the location – from the early fairs held on the Tor to St John’s car park where it is held today. Until 1825 a fair was held at the foot of Glastonbury Tor in Fair Field – the first field you enter as you climb the Tor from Wellhouse Lane. In the past Tor fair was a hugely anticipated event, a gathering, a marketplace, a time to meet your first boyfriend/girlfriend and schools would close on fair day (second Monday in September). Today the fair is a shadow of its former self and is great if you want to ride a Waltzer or enjoy hook-a-duck. Tor fair lends its name to the local phrase ‘Tor fair weather’ used the describe the weather between the last day of Summer and Tor fair day when a chill in the air, an earthy dampness that has its own special aroma and cold dewy weather marks the change of seasons.
    WWW: Glastonbury Tor Charter Fair – Facebook
  • Glastonbury Harvest Show / Community Harvest Feast – Highlights the importance of local food and community, and celebrates the joy and benefits of growing your own produce.
    WWW: Glastonbury Harvest Show – Facebook
  • Somerset Art Weeks – Over 300 artists and over 100 artists provide a host of visual arts experiences across the county for 2 weeks.
    WWW: Art Weeks – Somerset Art Works

October

  • Glastonbury Dragons Wild Hunt – The Wild Hunt is a folklore idea occurring across various northern European countries. Wild Hunts typically involve a chase led by a mythological figure escorted by a ghostly or supernatural group of hunters in pursuit. The hunters are generally the souls of the dead or ghostly dogs, sometimes fairies, valkyries, or elves. Held around the same time as Samhain, the Glastonbury version is a pageant featuring the Glastonbury Red and White Dragons and with Gwyn Ap Nudd parading down High Street pursued by the ‘Horde’ and culminates in a battle of seasons between the Dragons, the white represents winter and the red summer. Legend tells how Gwyn Ap Nudd, lives under Glastonbury Tor and emerges around Samhain time to ride with the Wild Hunt across the land, riding with his warriors and hounds. He re-enters his underground home each Beltane before emerging again near to the following Samhain. Gwyn is the King of the Fae, the folk who live under the hill with him and if you enter his realm you need not eat or drink anything offered or you would not be able to leave. The Glastonbury Dragons also emerge from their secret lair underneath Glastonbury Tor for the battle the seasons. Morris dancing, belly dancing, drumming and Druids add to this unique and colourful event.
    WWW: Glastonbury Dragons’ Samhain Wild Hunt – The Guardian and Glastonbury Dragons – Facebook
  • Samhain – 31st October – 1st November beginning at sundown and continuing until sundown the next day – Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 31st October to 1st November, as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice – Events at various locations most notably Chalice Well and on Glastonbury Tor.

November

  • Glastonbury Chilkwell Carnival – The first record of an organised procession in Glastonbury was in 1854. The Somerset Carnivals are widely regarded as the largest illuminated processions in Europe and Glastonbury Carnival is one of the best on the circuit.
    WWW: Glastonbury Chilkwell Carnival

December

The world-famous Glastonbury Festival is not in fact held in Glastonbury. This festival of contemporary performing arts takes place in the village of Pilton almost 13 km away. What started in 1970 as the Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk Festival was rebranded to incorporate the name of the more well-known town.

What’s On In Glastonbury ……

What’s On In Glastonbury

Can you recommend any Glastonbury annual events?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



Glastonbury Town Maps

Navigating to/from and around Glastonbury is easy with the help of apps such as Google Maps and what3words, however there are many maps of the town that are worth looking at as they provide additional useful information for visitors.

Here is a selection of Glastonbury town maps to help ensure you make the most of your visit and never get lost!

  • Glastonbury Car Parks Map – Mendip District Council Pay and Display

Available online -> here <-

  • Glastonbury (and Street) Visitors Guide

Priced at £1.50 (2022) the guide includes a fold-out map of Glastonbury town – available from Glastonbury Information Centre at Dunstans House, Magdalene Street, BA6 9EL ( absorb.bunk.villa )

Paper copies are available by contacting the author or from Glastonbury Information Centre.

  • Yellow Publications – Around & About Glastonbury, Street, Baltonsborough & West Pennard – The Yellow Walk Maps

Waterproof concertina format map based on the OS Explorer series of maps with a scale of 1:16 000 – available online -> here <- or from Glastonbury Information Centre.

Can you recommend any good maps of Glastonbury town?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



Guided Tours Around Glastonbury

Guided tours are a great way to discover the town’s history and legends and explore the beauty of the surrounding countryside.

You won’t find open top bus sightseeing tours in Glastonbury, and all available tours involve some walking (or paddling!), but there is something for everyone – enjoy!

Here is a selection of well-known guided tours in and around Glastonbury:

  • Divine Light Tours

Days tours include Chalice Well and Glastonbury Abbey. Also offer tours of Avebury, Stonehenge, Woodhenge, West Kennet Longbarrow and crop circles.

WWW: Divine Light Tours
T: 07796 907710 and 07810 143214

  • Glastonbury Abbey – Living History

Lead short walks, lasting between 30-45 minutes through the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. Learn about the legends of the Abbey, the pilgrims who flocked to worship here, or discover the amazing connections between the tales of King Arthur and Glastonbury Abbey!

Tours for groups can be pre-booked to fit in with your itinerary.

WWW: Glastonbury Abbey – Living History
T: 01458 832 267

  • Gothic Image Tours – Glastonbury

Half day tours include Glastonbury Tor, Wearyall Hill, Chalice Well, Glastonbury Abbey or walking round the labyrinth on Glastonbury Tor. Also offer tours to many sacred and spiritual sites across the UK and Ireland.

WWW: Gothic Image Tours – Glastonbury
T: 07768 087766

  • Mystical Earth Tours – The Isle of Avalon

Half and full day tours connecting deeply with the land and the myths and legends of this sacred Isle. Also offer tours of Avebury, Stonehenge, Cornwall and Dartmoor.

WWW: Mystical Earth Tours – The Isle of Avalon
T: 07948 079671​ or 07762 299441 or 0612 294580

  • To The Trees – Tree Walks

Nature based activities including tree walks, tree identification workshops, live virtual walks, an Abbey walk and guided tours of Glastonbury.

WWW: To The Trees – Tree Walks
T: 07548 936081

Tripadvisor bubble rating 5.0 from 35 reviews (latest rating and reviews here)

  • Tor’s Tours – Glastonbury

Offer full day tours including ‘The Quest’ (one day to see it all walking tour), The Glastonbury Chakra Journey and walking the labyrinth on the Tor. Also offer tours to many sacred and spiritual sites across the UK and Ireland.

WWW: Tor’s Tours – Glastonbury – ‘The Quest’ and Tor’s Tours – The Glastonbury Chakra Journey and Tor’s Tours – Walk the labyrinth on the Tor
T: 07813 156784

Tripadvisor bubble rating 4.5 from 14 reviews (latest rating and reviews here)

Out of Town

  • Avalon Marshes – Wildlife Walks & Nature by Canoe

Guided wildlife walks are regularly held on the Avalon Marshes including bird watching, wildlife walks and walks with a warden. Also, what would Ham Wall look like if you were an otter? How does it feel to float low on the water in the middle of a reedbed packed with nature? Find out on a unique opportunity to discover Ham Wall by canoe. Join an experienced instructor and expert wildlife guide and paddle around rarely-seen areas of this breathtaking ecosystem. Join the Westhay Visitor Experience Office on a private walking tour of Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve to look and listen for the incredible wetland wildlife at this very special site.

WWW: Avalon Marshes – Events

WWW: Somerset Wildlife Trust – Guided Walks at Westhay with Kevin Anderson

Private Hire

If you plan to explore other places outside Glastonbury then private hire cars are a good option. Here are some local private hire car companies that offer tours:

  • Avalon Taxis and Tours

T: 07888 832128

  • Spare Space Taxis

T : 07710 660225

Can you recommend any guided tours around Glastonbury?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



Where To Go Wild Swimming Near Glastonbury

If you fancy cooling off in the warmer weather with some wild swimming, there are plenty of options here in central Somerset.

Here are a selection of places for an open water dip within a one hour drive of Glastonbury:

  • West Lydford (18 minutes by car – 10 miles) – plenty of spots for a dip from the footpath which runs for 3.5 km along the river (Brue) – slip into the river via St Peter’s churchyard (or jump off the bridge!). You can also become one with nature as the river is surrounded by calming weeping willows and water lilies. The locals have been plagued by litter, over-crowding, and bad behaviour so please be respectful when you visit.

Head for St Peter’s church, TA11 7DB

https://what3words.com/tearfully.shade.quitter – by the bridge
https://what3words.com/amounting.saying.raced – above the weir

https://what3words.com/auctioned.crispy.bugs – below the weir

  • Vobster Quay (34 minutes – 17 miles) – 36 acres of fresh water and a 750m swimming course. Vobster Quay is members only with a member then able to sign a guest in using an online app and all swimmers have to be 16 years+

A: Upper Vobster, RADSTOCK, BA3 5SD

WWW: Vobster Quay – Swim Vobster

  • Fussell’s Iron Works, Mells (34 minutes – 18 miles) – great paddling spots and even a few deeper areas for a (shallow) dip!

Use postcode BA11 3PA for Sat Nav directions.

  • Woollard (43 minutes – 21 miles) – a short walk and a river (Chew) swim in the area between Publow and Woollard – Park next to the Church in Publow and pick up one of the footpaths heading East and South East to the location found via link below.

Head for the Church of All Saints, Publow, BS39 4HP

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  • Clevedon Marine Lake (48 minutes – 35 miles) – OK this is not wild swimming but worthy of a mention…15,000 square metre tidal pool that gets filled with seawater from the Bristol Channel every spring tide. Clevedon Marine Lake has a floating platform which you can dive off. If you stay till the sunset after your swim, you will be able to see a picturesque phenomenon of the water turning pink and red!

A: off Old Church Road, CLEVEDON, BS21 7TU

WWW: Clevedon Marine Lake

  • Farleigh Hungerford (48 minutes – 30 miles) – open from 1st May to 30th September and home to what is believed to be the oldest river swimming club in the country (the original “wild swimming club”). For those who like to be adventurous, then you will be glad to hear that they have a diving board and two rope swings over the stream.

A: Farleigh Hungerford, BATH, BA2 7RS

WWW: Farleigh & District Swimming Club

  • Saltford Weir (52 minutes – 25 miles) – off the Bristol to Bath cycle path (about 10 miles from the start of the path in Bristol) or by car – although be warned that parking is extremely limited. There are many easy access points into the water from both sides of the river. Has a number of rope swings and plenty of surrounding secluded grassed land where you can enjoy a picnic whilst soaking up the sun.

A: Mead Lane, Saltford, BRISTOL, BS31 3ER

  • Dundas Aqueduct (52 minutes – 33 miles) – swimming underneath an aqueduct. Getting in and out of the water is easy and there are shallower and deeper parts meaning that it is suitable for all ages. Limited (paid for) parking so arrive early if visiting in the Summer. Bring some cash as on sunny days there a canal boat selling delicious Cornish ice-cream.

A: Brassknocker Basin, Brassknocker Hill, Monkton Combe, BATH, BA2 7JD

  • Warleigh Weir (Claverton) (56 minutes – 34 miles) – waterfall across the River Avon on the outskirts of Bath with shallow paddling areas and some long deep stretches for those that would like a good swim. Walking along the waterfall, you will be greeted by peaceful meadows and colourful canal boats.

A: Ferry Lane, Bath, BA2 7BH

WWW: Warleigh Weir Project

  • Bitton (57 minutes – 28 miles) – river (Avon) surrounded by wildflowers and steam trains accessible from the Bristol to Bath cycle path.  Just before you come across the railway bridge in Bitton that goes over the river, there is a turn right which takes you down a hill and to the riverside. It also has a wooden pontoon to jump off into the water.

A: Bitton Picnic Area, Church Road, Bitton, BRISTOL, BS30 6LL or The Oak House, Bath Road, Swineford, Bitton, BRISTOL, BS30 6LW

  • Eastwood Farm Nature Reserve and Conham River Park (60 minutes – 29 miles) – located on the River Avon, Conham River Park is a quieter swimming spot where you can surround yourself with picture-perfect wildlife. It also has steps to access the river, perfect for those who do not fancy jumping in. As well as this, Conham River Park has a path running beside it which you can walk in 45-minutes, a great additional activity to consider.

A: Eastwood Farm Nature Reserve (on the Brislington side) and Conham River Park (on the Conham side – Conham Hill, Hanham, BRISTOL, BS15 3AW)

If it is swimming outdoors you want, try Greenbank outdoor heated pool in nearby Street.

If it is swimming in the sea you fancy, try Weston Super Mare.

Do you have a favourite place near Glastonbury for wild swimming?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



Glastonbury History Timeline

This article presents a chronology of some notable events in the history of Glastonbury and the surrounding areas – some of them more significant than others! If you would like to visit the sites connected to where these events took place, locations are provided towards the end of the article.

Prehistory (Before 43 A.D.)

  • 8500-4000 B.C. – Flints from this era found around Chalice Well
  • 7th millennium B.C. – The sea level rose and flooded the valleys and low-lying ground surrounding Glastonbury so the Mesolithic people occupied seasonal camps on the higher ground, indicated by scatters of flints
  • 3806 B.C. – Sweet Track built along the route of an even earlier track, the Post Track, dating from 3838 B.C.
  • 200-100 B.C. – Glastonbury Lake Village occupied

Romans (43 A.D. – c. 410 A.D.)

  • ?60 A.D. – Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury after the crucifixion and from this the legendary first Christian community was founded
  • 166 A.D. – Missionaries sent by Pope Eleutherius built a church in the grounds where Glastonbury Abbey later stood

Early Medieval (c. 410 A.D. – 1066)

  • Late Saxon period (the Saxon period extended from 410 A.D. to 1066) – Small monastic settlement, with cells cut in the rock, and possibly a timber church on Glastonbury Tor
  • 5th Century – early 6th Century – The oldest known monastery in the United Kingdom located at Bride’s Mound predating Iona Abbey in Scotland, founded in the late 6th Century, and Glastonbury Abbey, which dates from the 7th Century. The graveyard here stayed in use until the 9th Century when Viking raids may have caused its end.
  • 449 A.D. – St Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland visited Glastonbury
  • 460 A.D. – St Benignus came to Glastonbury (settled in Meare). He was a disciple of St. Patrick and the third to succeed him in his Irish see.
  • 488 A.D. – St Brigid of Kildare visited Glastonbury
  • 6th Century – The first certain occupation of Glastonbury Tor
  • 7th Century – St Collen came to Glastonbury; he quarrelled with the monks and left for the ‘mountain of Glastonbury’ and made a cell in a quiet spot near a rock and had a curious vision of the King of the Underworld (Gwyn app Nudd)
  • 712 A.D. – King Ine of Wessex directed that a stone church be built in Glastonbury
  • 10th Century – Irish colony established in the Beckery area and was thus nicknamed ‘Little Ireland’. This area was known to the Irish as Glastimbir na n-Gaoidhil ‘Glastonbury of the Gaels’.
  • 940 A.D. – Dunstan of Glastonbury summoned to King Edmund’s court at Cheddar and made a minister
  • 943 A.D. – Dunstan takes Holy Orders in the presence of Ælfheah and returned to live the life of a hermit at Glastonbury. As the Abbot, Dunstan established a Benedictine monastery at Glastonbury Abbey and extends King Ine’s church.
  • 944 A.D. – King Edmund I takes control of York and the surrounding area removing sacred relics from the remains of Whitby Abbey and moves them to Glastonbury Abbey
  • 946 A.D. – King Edred comes to the throne and selects Dunstan, the Abbot of Glastonbury, to be his prime minister and Lord high treasurer
  • 955 A.D. – King Edwy gives a vineyard to the monks of Glastonbury Abbey and many vines were grown in the area for making wine in the Middle Ages
  • 967 A.D. – Remains of King Edmund I interred in Glastonbury Abbey
  • 975 A.D. – King Edgar the Peaceful buried in Glastonbury Abbey
  • 983 A.D. – Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia buried in Glastonbury Abbey
  • 1016 – Edmund Ironside’s coronation as King of England in Glastonbury Abbey
  • 1030 – King Canute visits Glastonbury Abbey to grant the Abbey gifts and privileges

Medieval (1066 – 1485)

  • 1070s – St Margaret’s Chapel built on Magdelene Street, originally as a hospital and later as almshouses for the poor
  • 1077 – Abbot Thurstin dismissed after his soldiers kill monks by the High Altar in Glastonbury Abbey
  • 1086 – At the time of the Domesday Book – Glastonbury Abbey was the richest monastery in the country and the Abbey estate consisted of 884 hides of fertile land. Among the many privileges granted to the Abbey was a mint for the coining of money.
  • 1091 – The monks of Glastonbury took the relics of a holy man named Beon or Beonna by boat from Meare to be added to the collection at Glastonbury Abbey; at his last resting place, an oration was delivered, and, after a liberal offering, a church (St Benedict’s) was built on the site, being consecrated around 1100.
  • 1126 – King Henry I brought his nephew, Henry of Blois, from Normandy to be Abbot of Glastonbury.
  • 1127 – A charter for holding a fair was granted by Henry 1 to the Abbot and Monks of Glastonbury Abbey ‘to hold a fair at the monastery of St. Michael on the Tor in the island of Glastonbury’. It was to last for six days, five before the feast of St. Michael and on the feast day itself.
  • 1129 – William of Malmesbury stays with the monks of the Abbey and documents the early history of the Abbey
  • 1184 – A great fire at Glastonbury destroyed the monastic buildings including the old church, vetusta ecclesia. The Abbey’s connection with King Arthur and his Queen, Guinevere, was created by the monks. King Henry II puts his chancellor, Ralph Fitzstephen in charge of rebuilding.
  • 1189 – First street market held in Glastonbury
  • 1191 – Tombs of King Arthur and Guinevere found in the cemetery at Glastonbury Abbey
  • 1195 – Start of a 24 year feud between Glastonbury Abbey and the Bishop of Bath and Wells
  • mid-13th Century – The earliest reference to the Tor is in the so-called ‘charter of St Patrick’ which names ‘two lay brothers’ on the Tor
  • 1243 – A charter gives permission for the holding of a fair ‘at the monastery of St Michael on the Tor’
  • 1275 – 11th September – Earthquake destroyed St Michael’s Church on Glastonbury Tor
  • 1278 – Easter – King Edward I and Queen Eleanor visited Glastonbury Abbey and ordered that the tomb of King Arthur be opened for their inspection. In a ceremony the remains were taken to the high altar and then reburied.
  • 14th Century – Tithe Barn at the Somerset Rural Life Museum built to store wheat and rye
  • 1322-1335 – The Abbot’s Fish House built by the Abbot of Glastonbury and is the only surviving monastic fishery building in England
  • ?1334 – Nine-bayed aisled nave at Glastonbury Abbey completed
  • 1334-1342 – The Abbot’s Kitchen built by Abbot John de Breynton as the kitchen for Glastonbury Abbey and is one of the world’s few surviving Medieval kitchens and has been described as one of the best-preserved medieval kitchens in Europe.
  • 1366 – Great Street becomes known as High Street
  • 1439 – First reference to ‘George ynne’ (The George Hotel and Pilgrims’ Inn built to accommodate visitors to Glastonbury Abbey)

Tudors (1485 – 1603)

  • 15th Century – Church of St John the Baptist built
  • 15th Century – The construction of the Edgar Chapel made Glastonbury Abbey the longest ecclesiastical building in England approximately 175 metres in length with an area greater than that of Canterbury Cathedral
  • 1493 – Richard Beere installed as abbot of Glastonbury, the election of Thomas Wasyn having been quashed by the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
  • 16th Century – Arthurian legend expert John Leland identified Pomparles Bridge as the place where King Arthur’s sword Excalibur was cast into a lake after King Arthur’s burial on the Isle of Avalon
  • 1500 – Glastonbury Abbey relegated to the second wealthiest abbey in Britain, after Westminster
  • 1520 – Holy Thorn first mentioned in a pamphlet published by Richard Pynson called Here begynneth the lyfe of Joseph of Armathia
  • ?1520 – The Church of St Benedict rebuilt by Abbot Richard Beere
  • 1524 – Abbot Richard Beere buried in Glastonbury Abbey
  • 1534 – Abbot Richard Whiting signs the Act of Supremacy granting King Henry VIII of England and subsequent monarchs Royal Supremacy, such that he was declared the Supreme Head of the Church of England
  • 1539 – 15th November – Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury, executed with two of his monks. Henry VIII closes and destroys much of Glastonbury Abbey.
  • 1539 – The Mere (or Meare Pool) was 5 miles (8 km) in circuit and a mile and a half (2.5 km) across
  • 1550 – Colony of Flemish weavers settled on the Abbey site
  • 1587 – The last monk from Glastonbury Abbey died

Stuarts (1603 – 1714)

  • 1607 – 30th January – Tsunami hits Glastonbury covering 200 square miles with floodwater which reached the base of the Church of St Benedict
  • 1685 – June – The Church of St John the Baptist used for shelter by Monmouth’s troops during the Monmouth Rebellion
  • 1685 – July – Duke of Monmouth’s army pass through Glastonbury on their way to the Battle of Sedegmoor – 1300 troops were killed or wounded and 2700 were captured
  • 1685 – 7th July – In the aftermath of the Pitchfork Rebellion, several rebels hanged – from the sign of the White Hart Inn and elsewhere in the town
  • 1705  – Glastonbury granted a Royal Charter by Queen Anne and first mayor (John Aplin) appointed replacing churchwardens who were once a corporate body owning considerable property in the town
  • ?1707 – Henry Fielding English novelist and dramatist and founder of the Bow Street Runners, London’s first intermittently funded full-time police force baptised at the Church of St Benedict
  • 1712 – Meare Pool covered in a network of rhynes draining the pool

Georgians (1714 – 1837)

  • 1750 – October – Matthew Chancellor from nearby North Wootton had a dream and having taken water from Chaingate was cured of asthma and Glastonbury was briefly invaded by the sick and infirm in their search for a miraculous cure. On Sunday 5th May 1751, 10,000 people came to drink the water from Chaingate.
  • 1753 – 12th August – A pump room and baths opened in Glastonbury
  • 1780 – The pump room closes and converted into a shop
  • 1792-1794 – The ground adjoining the Abbey ruins cleared, levelled, and converted into pasturage; many loads of stones were raised here, and employed in making a new turnpike road between Glastonbury and Wells. In 1793, during the clearing and levelling, a free-stone coffin was discovered containing a skeleton without the skull.
  • 1806 – Glastonbury’s Market Cross demolished
  • 1812 – Lilly, Brown & Co, the first private bank in Glastonbury established; it was also known as the Glastonbury & Shepton Mallet Bank.
  • 1818 – Town hall built
  • 1825 – Last fair held at the foot of Glastonbury Tor in Fair Field
  • 1827 – The Glastonbury Canal authorised by Parliament

Victorians (1837 – 1901)

  • 1833 – 15th August – The Glastonbury Canal operated by The Glastonbury Navigation & Canal Company opens
  • 184? – John Clark laid a stone on Wearyall Hill to mark the exact spot where the Holy Thorn once stood (give or take a few hundred metres as the earliest engraving of Glastonbury shows the Holy Thorn as located at the roadside of Roman Way). The stone was salvaged from the Abbey and the inscription read ‘I. A. Ann. D XXXI’ meaning I[oseph] A[rimathea] Anno Domini 31.
  • 1844 – The house and shop that stood at 35 High Street was occupied by Peter Marquand, linen draper where John Lewis apprenticed before founding the John Lewis empire
  • 1846 – Current Market Cross erected – replacing the cross demolished in 1806
  • 1848 – St Michael’s Tower on Glastonbury Tor rebuilt
  • 1854 – 1st July – Canal closed as a through route
  • 1854 – 17th August – Railway opens
  • 1854 – The first record of an organised procession in Glastonbury – eventually becoming the Glastonbury Chilkwell Carnival
  • 1859 – Branch of railway from Glastonbury to Wells opened
  • 1862 – Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway formed from an amalgamation of the Somerset Central Railway and Dorset Central Railway – the main line of which passed through Glastonbury
  • 1863 – 10th March – Glastonbury Thorn tree planted on Wearyall Hill – planted by John Austin, 12 year old son of James Austin the owner of the Abbey and Wearyall Hill, to celebrate the marriage of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, to Princess Alexander of Denmark (‘The Prince’s Thorn’ had died by 1884).
  • 1864 – The Glastonbury Assembly Rooms built on the site of the White Hart Inn’s old stables
  • 1865 – The Town Council warned that Cholera might be expected in the town as
  • 1867 – The first Somersetshire County Ball held at the Assembly Rooms. What was to become an annual event played host to dignatories from across the county.
  • 1870 – John Morland bought a tannery in Glastonbury particularly attracted by the water (essential to the tanning process), which he described as being “of unusual purity”
  • 1872 – Well house was constructed over the White Spring, to provide a reservoir. The clean water, which it provided for the town suffering with Cholera, was a great blessing.
  • 1872 – May – As part of the Whit-Monday Fete, Charles Blondin French tightrope walker famous for crossing Niagara Gorge visited the Abbey making trips across a high rope with his footman on his back. Eight thousand people attended and the Fete included a race over six flights of hurdles into the Abbey pond and across it to the cup on the other side.
  • 1873 – First of forty-five groups of prehistoric wooden trackways discovered, connecting the Somerset archipelago of islands
  • 1877 – January – William Gladstone, four times Prime Minister, visited Glastonbury
  • 1879 – Charles ‘Bungy’ Heal known as The King of Showmen born in Glastonbury in the building on the corner of Market Place and Benedict St, now home to Heaphy”s Cafe
  • 1882 – Glastonbury Lake Village, the best-preserved Iron Age village ever found in Europe, discovered by Arthur Bulleid
  • 1886 – July – Glastonbury railway station renamed Glastonbury and Street
  • 1895 – 12th September – The first religious pilgrimage for 356 years held in Glastonbury. Over 1500 Catholic pilgrims walked from the railway station through the town to Glastonbury Tor where a service was held in honour of the last Abbot of Glastonbury Richard Whiting.
  • 1897 – 3rd August – Anglican Pilgrimage, took place within the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey to celebrate the thirteen hundredth anniversary of the coming of St Augustine to this country. Over 100 Bishops, 6 Archbishops and around 1000 dignitaries and clergy from the Anglican Church took part in a procession from St John’s Church to the Abbey.

20th Century (1901 – 2000)

  • 1908 – The Abbey ruins purchased by the Church of England and Frederick Bligh Bond appointed as director of excavations. In 1919 Bond published The Gates of Remembrance, which revealed that he had employed psychical methods to guide his excavation of the Glastonbury ruins and as a consequence of these revelations he was sacked in 1921.
  • 1909 – Knights of Glastonbury, the oldest fish and chip restaurant in the UK established
  • 1909 – 22nd June – Prince and Princess of Wales visited Glastonbury to mark the restoration of the abbey to the Church of England
  • 1912 – Alice Buckton bought the Chalice Well and opened a hostel there which drew pilgrims from around the world
  • 1914 – 5th August 1914 – The first Glastonbury Festival began in the Assembly Rooms
  • 1921 – November – Glastonbury holds it’s first Remembrance Day memorial service to honour armed forces members who died in the line of duty – following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919.
  • 1924 – A pilgrimage to the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey was held by a few local churches – becoming the annual Glastonbury Pilgrimage
  • 1929 – Christmas – Tradition of sending sprig of the Glastonbury Thorn to the monarchy revived. In 1950 the new vicar tried to end the tradition until the Town Clerk received a letter from Queen Mary asking why the thorn had not been sent.
  • 1933 – National Trust acquired Tor field with St Michael’s Tower
  • 1935 – Katherine Maltwood announced her discovery of the Glastonbury Zodiac
  • 1937 – Draper of Glastonbury,  the oldest sheepskin footwear manufacturer in the UK founded
  • 1937 – 14th October 1937 – 27 acres of land on the top of the Tor including the tower sold for £2500 to the National Trust
  • 1948 – Restoration works on St Michael’s Tower
  • 1951 – 1st July – Glastonbury Thorn tree planted on Wearyall Hill – planted by Mayor Harry Scott Stokes as the centrepiece of Glastonbury’s celebration of the Festival of Britain, the tree was grafted from the one in the churchyard of the Church of St John the Baptist and the ceremony was attended by nearly 2000 people (the tree died and had to be replaced within months).
  • 1952 – 17th December – Glastonbury telephone exchange on Archers Parade came into service (built in 1938 and now the Royal Mail delivery office)
  • 1953 – Sir Edmund Hillary took Morland’s boots on his successful Mount Everest expedition
  • 1953 – Charlie Chaplin visited Glastonbury (stopped briefly in the George & Pilgrims)
  • 1954 – The last recorded occupants left the Royal Magdalene Almshouses
  • 1957 – Cutting of a sprig of the Glastonbury Thorn to send to the monarchy at Christmas first televised
  • 1959 – Chalice Well Trust founded by Wellesley Tudor Pole
  • 1966 – 5th March – The last train leaves Glastonbury and Street railway station heading for Highbridge
  • 1966 – 7th March – Railway line closes
  • 1966 – 2nd June – Queen Elizabeth II visited
  • 1970 – 19th September – Pop Folk & Blues festival held in Pilton – eventually becoming the Glastonbury Festival
  • 1970 – Ray Sweet discovers what became known as The Sweet Track
  • 1974 – 1st April – The Local Government Act 1972 reorganises local government ending Glastonbury’s status as a borough with the creation of Mendip District Council
  • 1975 – 0700 4th June – Glastonbury telephone exchange on Archers Parade in service since 1952 ceased operation and replaced by the current exchange
  • 1978 – Somerset Rural Life Museum opens
  • 1982 – 11th October – Morlands tannery – Glastonbury’s largest employer appoints a receiver
  • 1982 – Glastonbury F.C. moved from within the walls of the Abbey to Abbey Moor Stadium
  • 1984 – 3rd April – Princess Diana visited Glastonbury
  • 1986 – Christmas – Glastonbury Thorn featured on British Christmas postage stamps
  • 1986 – Closure of Chalice Hill to public access
  • 1988 – 1st May – The Glastonbury Order of Druids formed
  • 1989 – March – Glastonbury cattle market closed – the last calf sold belonged to Henry Tinney of Cradlebridge Farm
  • 1994 – Fisons gave their old workings to what is now Natural England, who passed the management of the 260 hectares (640 acres) Ham Wall section to the RSPB
  • 1995 – November – Friends of Bride’s Mound formed to preserve, protect and enhance Bride’s Mound
  • 1999 – The Glastonbury Farmers’ Market first held and was the first of the Somerset Farmers’ Markets.

21st Century

  • 2001 – Chalice Well became a World Peace Garden
  • 2003 – The Glastonbury Goddess Temple registered as a Place of Worship and is believed to be the first such place in the UK to be officially recognised for 1500 years
  • 2007 – The Glastonbury Tercentennial Labyrinth built to celebrate 300 years since Queen Ann gave Glastonbury the Town Charter in 1705
  • 2010 – night of 8th December – The Glastonbury Thorn tree on Wearyhall Hill badly damaged
  • 2011 – Glastonbury Tor featured on a 1st class postage stamp
  • 2015 – Glastonbury Abbey BioBlitz recorded 450 observations
  • 2015 – 28th June – Dalai Lama visited Glastonbury
  • 2016 – 1400 on Tuesday 5th April 2016 – The Lloyds Bank branch at 3 High Street closed ending 204 years of Glastonbury banking history
  • 2019 – May – The Glastonbury Thorn tree on Wearyhall Hill, badly damaged in 2010, removed by the landowner
  • 2022 – 19th May – Formation of the Somerset Wetlands National Nature Reserve  (NNR) – extending from the edge of Glastonbury to Bridgwater Bay it became the third largest NNR in England and home to a third of the UK’s bittern population
  • 2022 – September – Glastonbury awarded £23.6m from the government’s Towns Fund scheme – spread across 11 projects ‘bringing existing assets back into community use and working with local communities to deliver the spaces and resources that they want and need’

Locations

More Information

Glastonbury Abbey – Chronology

Glastonbury Town Council – Past Mayors

Do you know the dates of any key events in Glastonbury’s history that are not on our list?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



Birdwatching Near Glastonbury

If enjoy a spot of birdwatching, Somerset really is a great place to visit. The county is packed with nature reserves that are home to an amazing variety of birds but where are the best places near Glastonbury for birdwatching?

  • Catcott Complex

Somerset Wildlife Trust – Catcott Complex

The Welcome to Catcott leaflet provides details of trails and hides at Catcott.

  • Greylake

RSPB – Greylake

The Greylake  – Finding your way around leaflet provides details of trails and hides at Greylake.

  • Ham Wall

RSPB – Ham Wall

The Ham Wall  – Finding your way around leaflet provides details of trails and hides at Ham Wall.

  • Shapwick Heath

Avalon Marshes – Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve

A map showing hides at Shapwick Heath can be found here

  • Westhay Moor

Somerset Wildlife Trust – Westhay Moor

The Welcome to Westhay Moor leaflet provides details of trails and hides at Westhay Moor.

If you want to explore other nature reserves near Glastonbury this article will be of interest:

Nature Reserves In And Around Glastonbury

Do you know any great places for birdwatching near Glastonbury?

To book holiday accommodation in the Glastonbury area visit here



Explore the Avalon Marshes on Two Wheels

Part of the Somerset Levels, the Avalon Marshes are close to Glastonbury and perfect for cyclists. Avoiding the surrounding higher ridges and hills, there are some slightly raised parts but with a general elevation of just 10 to 12 feet (3 to 4 m) above sea level, the Marshes are mostly pancake flat. With mostly quiet roads, droves and cycle paths, exploring the Marshes on two wheels is a great way to appreciate the beauty of the countryside in this area.

Here are 6 routes to explore:

  • The Bittern Trail – Waymarked cycle and walking route that links Glastonbury and the Avalon Marshes Centre. The bulk of its route is traffic free running through the Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath nature reserves. This provides lots of interest on your way with wildlife all around you, lots of history and a very special landscape.

To find out more you can pick up a Bittern Trail leaflet at Glastonbury Information Centre located right in the centre of the town or from the Avalon Marshes Centre. You can also download a copy here

Four circular cycle routes produced by the Avalon Marshes which take in the best of the area and tell you about the heritage you will find along the way. All of the routes are suitable for road bikes and include lots of opportunities for refreshment:

  • Cider & Cripps – 11 Miles (17 km) – Easy with with one short hill climb

This interesting cycle route takes you around the north western corner of the Avalon Marshes area. Lots of pubs and even a Cider Farm along the route! The villages of Mark or East Huntspill make good starting points. Download a copy of the route here

  • Eastern Moors – 13 Miles (21 km) – Easy (with two short sections of busy main road)

This cycle route explores the eastern marshes including Queen’s Sedge Moor, Hearty Moor, Kennard Moor and the green fringes of the Isle of Avalon. Download a copy of the route here

  • Reserves & Lake Villages – 16 Miles (26 km) – Flat (other than some bumpy bits!)

Covering the central Avalon Marshes, this route takes in three National Nature Reserves and the sites of the Lake Villages. Plenty of places for refreshment along the route. Download a copy of the route here

  • Roman Saltworks & Peat Moors – 18 Miles (29 km) or two shorter loops – A climb onto the Polden Ridge

This route links the Avalon Marshes Centre and the villages of Westhay, Burtle, Edington, Chilton Polden and Cossington. It takes you through a landscape of big skies and long views. There is lots of history and heritage on the way (and several refreshment stops). Download a copy of the route here

  • The Glastonbury Cycleway – 18 mile (29 km) long circuit around the Glastonbury area and includes The Bittern Trail, 3 National Nature Reserves, all of National Cycle Network Route 3 that passes through Glastonbury and Glastonbury Tor! The route includes several points of interest and refreshment stops along the way to break up the adventure. Details about The Glastonbury Cycleway can be found here

Day Trip to Wells

Another two wheeled adventure to consider is a cycle ride to the beautiful city of Wells and back. Taking a quiet, relatively traffic free route across the Levels, Wells is less than 8 miles away.

Details of the route can be found here

Don’t have a cycle? Not a cyclist?

We have the solution! Glastonbury Electric Bikes let you explore the Glastonbury area on two wheels with the aid of a battery.

WWW: Glastonbury Electric Bikes

Do you have a favourite cycle route around the Somerset Levels?