This little village is famous world wide in the summer but is good for a visit all year round.
Glastonbury has become a household name due to its world famous festival that draws tens of thousands every summer – but throughout the rest of the year, Glastonbury Village is a gorgeous place for a weekend away, jam-packed with quirky history and stunning walks.
Glastonbury is also rumoured to be the burial place of King Arthur. The legend goes that King Arthur and his wife Guinevere, are buried in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey, south of the Lady Chapel, between two pillars. There’s also a legend that Jesus visited Glastonbury, which inspired William Blake’s poem Jerusalem – known now as a popular hymn.
This little village is packed with legend and history making it the perfect place for a weekend stroll. It’s filled to the brim with colourful characters and shops selling crystals, paganist items and hard crafted art as well as plenty of quality charity shops for the more frugally minded among us.
An unmissable place to visit is the White Spring, at the entrance of the town. The White Spring is the site of two natural springs, one tinged white with calcium and the other red with iron. They rise above the earth at this spot, just a few feet from one another and a temple has been built for people to visit and meditate among them. You can even bathe in the springs if you wish to but be aware that some people choose to do this naked – so no phones are allowed.
Visitors to the White Spring find it a very peaceful place, illuminated by candlelight – perfect for quiet reflection.
“This is a lovely little temple, it’s very peaceful lit by candle light. No phones allowed in this spot as it’s known to be a religious site and there’s also sometimes people bathing without clothes on so be aware of that if taking children. It’s such a relaxing spot and I could sit in here all day if I could, highly recommend for couples as it feels to be quite a romantic spot,” wrote one tourist on Tripadvisor.
The White Spring can be found at the base of Glastonbury Tor – another beautiful part of this quirky town.
This Tor is steeped in both Christian and Pagan legend. Some say that hidden beneath its lush green grass is a hidden cave through which you can pass into the fairy realm of Annwn. There dwells Gwyn ab Nudd, the lord of the Celtic underworld, with the Cauldron of Rebirth.
In later tradition, some say the Holy Grail lies here, brought by Jesus’ uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. The Cauldron and the Grail were both the object of quests for King Arthur and his knights.
Even without its myths and legends, a climb of Glastonbury Tor is well worth doing as it offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside as well as the remnants of a 14th century church. The lone tower which stands tall at the summit is all that remains of the church of St Michael. It replaced a church destroyed by an earthquake, before that the Romans made use of this hilltop.
If you’ve had your fill of nature, you could head to the high street where you’ll find The George and Pilgrims – a pub which dates to the 15th century and is rumoured to have been connected to the old abbey by a series of underground tunnels. Said to be haunted by the ghosts of a monk and an elegant woman who follows him with a look of longing, this historical pub offers up spooky history and delicious food in equal measure. With a 3.5 star rating on Tripadvisor, visitors say they enjoy the historical charm of the building as well as its well stocked bar with a number of ales.
”This is the first place I head to whenever I am in Glastonbury. It’s a fascinating building with a unique atmosphere. There are little decorative details throughout including a cobbled stone floor, little nooks and seating areas, a beautiful stained glass window frontage and brilliant wall paintings. Serving great value tasty food and local traditional farmhouse Somerset cider (beef and other drinks too of course.)”
