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The Tor
Picture by Mick McKenna


VIRTUAL TOUR OF GLASTONBURY, U.K.



THE TOR

Visible for miles around, this is probably Glastonbury's most famous land-mark. Sacred to Pagans and Christians alike, it has been a site of worship since time immemorial. The tower you can see on the top is all that is left of the church (dedicated to Michael, the prince of the high places) which once stood on the summit. The horizontal lines sculpted into the side of the Tor are a different matter. Some say they are the remnants of medieval strip linchets, used to cultivate grapes. However, if you view the Tor from the air or afar, there is a pattern similar to the sacred circular labyrinths that go back thousands of years. The local Goddess devotees say therefore, that this hill was once given over to Her worship. Some say that if you follow the pattern in the right way, making the correct incantations, on the right day and with a pure heart, you will either:-

In addition to all this, the Tor is at the crossroads of the great Mary and Michael ley lines and in the centre of very powerful earth energies. I know that even on the stillest, hottest day, there is always a breeze on the top. When the air is clear there are also wonderful panoramic views of Wells, Cheddar (where the cheese comes from), the moors, Street, the Mendip hills, the Brendon hills (that lead up to Dartmoor), Wearyall Hill, Brent Knoll and even the blue line of the hills of Wales in the far distance.




THE ABBEY

The peaceful ruined Abbey
Picture by Mick McKenna


Established at least as long ago as A.D. 200, when there was a modest building of wattle and daub, the most ancient dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary north of the Alps for over a thousand years. During the Celtic period, the saints who are said to have visited sound like an honour role. Patrick, Brigid (Bride) and David of Wales, who is supposed to have helped start construction on the later wooden church. At that time, just like Iona, important local chieftans were buried in the churchyard outside. One such 6th century burial between two pillars contained a boat and two skeletons - a tall man and a woman with golden hair. The lead cross on top of the makeshift coffin (now lost somewhere in Wells) bore the inscription in Latin : "Here lies King Arthur, the once and future king." When the monks realised exactly whom they had uncovered, the two bodies were re-interred, with much pomp and ceremony, in the presence of the King and Queen to a marble tomb right in front of the High Altar.

St. Dunstan (a local lad) became abbot in 986 and remodeled the Abbey along Benedictine lines. At about that time there was a great fire and the wooden church on top of 'the old church' was burnt down. Undeterred, Dunstan initiated rebuilding in stone. When he had a free moment, he went off and crowned Edgar the first King of all England in Bath Abbey. Glastonbury grew and flourished. We had our own Abbot bishop and pilgrims came from far and wide to see the largest chuch building in England, see the Holy Thorn and hear the legend that Joseph of Arimathea himself founded the Abbey, his staff taking root and flowering being a sign that this was a good place to stop. Descendants of the Holy Thorn still grow in Glastonbury, blossoming twice a year at Easter and Christmas. Cuttings are taken every year and sent as a loyal tribute to their Majesties the Queen and the Queen Mother and they adorn their breakfast tables every Christmas morning.

Why is the Abbey clearly in ruins? That was the fault of Henry 8th and the trouble he had getting his divorce. Because Glastonbury was large, powerful, rich and well-loved, the blow fell hard here. It is told that a few of the most holy relics were sprited away, including the Holy Grail. Despite its bloody end, it is a place of peace, tranquillity and beauty to this day.




THE BLUE NOTE CAFE

Joe's other bar....!
Picture by Philippa Chapman


I had to put this one in for all you ATHers and Highlander fans. I wasn't entirely sure you'd believe me unless you'd seen the place with your own eyes. They serve tea, coffee, light meals and a small selection of alcohol, but, unfortunately, not live music. However the walls are adorned with huge black and white photos of blues and jazz legends (largely deceased), so you can imagine the music. If you're ever in town, we can meet there for a cup of coffee or two and have a chat.




THE TWO SPRINGS

Celtic folk may shiver when I tell you that the two springs in Glastonbury are white and red. The white one comes to air inside a cafe called the White Spring and runs in a channel down the middle of the floor. The water is clear, cold and very fresh. You can go in at any time the cafe is open and drink as much as you like without charge. Some people bring barrels and take supplies home with them. Just across the road is the red spring, coloured by the iron deposit in it. So the taste is metallic, but again very good for you. Prince Charles had a sample last time he passed through. According to legend, the redness in the water is due to the fact that the spring rises near or in the buried Holy Grail. Be that as it may, the beautiful and tranquil gardens that surround the red spring are well worth a visit.




THE EXCALIBUR CAFE

This establishment is situated just over half way up the High Street, on the right as you travel up-hill. Open for breakfast through to light lunches and containing a wealth of quasi-medieval Arthurian objects. These incluse a list of all the knights in their places around the fabled round table, a couple of brass rubbings, a facsimile of the Declaration of Arbroath (I don't know what that's doing in Glastonbury) and a blunt 'copy' of Excalibur on the rear wall. The sword is apparently modelled on the one in the film, Excalibur.




THE ROYAL MEDIEVAL ALMSHOUSES

Painting by Gunvor Stallybrass
Painting by Gunvor Stallybrass



This small complex was founded in the 14th century to care for warriors returning from the Crusades with leprosy and other exotic unknown diseases. Originally, there was a barn structure attached to the small chapel and the monks catered for 13 men at a time. In the days before real hospitals, hospices and welfare, this was a vital service. After the dissolution of the monastery, the barn was knocked down and individual almshouses were built. Each man had his own fireplace, bed-loft and tiny living area. Near the chapel was a communal kitchen and at the far end, the men had a washroom and a modest vegetable garden. The almshouses are now the property of English Heritage and used Monday to Friday by the ecumenical and Celtic Christian 'Quest Community', along with the chapel. At 12 o'clock each day (except Sunday) there is a short service in the chapel open to all, regardless of faith. On Wednesdays there is often a led meditation with music and on Saturdays, a silent meditation. Between early morning and dusk the chapel and garden are available for personal 'space' and contemplation. Members of the Community are often at hand if you wish to talk, or will leave you to explore the quiet room, craft room, library and reception room in the almshouses by yourself. At the East end of the chapel you will find a new book shop, run mostly by volunteers. Above the shop is a self-catering pilgrim maisonette for anyone who would like to have a contemplative and spiritual holiday in Glastonbury. If you arrive at the right time of day, you may find yourself included in a shared lunch or an afternoon discussion session.




AND FINALLY......

There's a lot more to Glastonbury - the Rural life museum, the churches, the restaurants, the pubs, Queen Anne's maces and our local population of long haired gents (and ladies) who sometimes get close to looking like the extras in flashback and modern sequences of Highlander, including one or two who seem to be attempting the Four Horsemen part deux. We even have a resident Scottish laddie from Ayrshire who regularly busks, playing his bagpipes outside the main church. I don't need to move, do I?!!?

It was all of this that led me to write my soon to be published Highlander fanfic called ISLE OF AVALON.




E-mail me at: philippa@dapc.globalnet.co.uk

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