Glastonbury
Go to the maps page to find out where Glastonbury is situated and to see a plan of the town.
Although only a tiny town (with a population of 7.500), Glastonbury is probably the best-known sacred site in the whole of Britain. It is a place of pilgrimage to Christians, Jews and pagans.
There are so many legends about Glastonbury that, even if only one of them was true, it would be enough to make the town a very special place.
The Legends of Joseph of Arimathea
The Thorn Bush
Joseph of Arimathea is said to have come to England to
convert the people to Christianity. When he arrived at
Glastonbury he leant on his staff to rest for a while. When the
staff started to grow he saw this as a sign that he should stay
here and build the first English Christian church.
The place where his staff took root is called Wearyall Hill
(perhaps because he was feeling tired after travelling all the
way from the Holy Land).
You may think this story is unlikely but it helps to explain why
there is a strange thorn bush growing in Glastonbury. It is
mysterious because it is found nowhere else in Britain; and even
stranger because it flowers twice a year - in the spring and at
Christmas.
The original thorn was cut down by the Puritans during the
English Civil War but cuttings from that bush still survive. A
sprig from one of the bushes is sent to the Queen every
Christmas.
The Holy Grail
After Christ was crucified, Joseph of Arimathea was given
the body to bury. Some stories say that he kept the cup used by
Christ at the Last Supper. While he was washing the body, some
blood flowed from the wounds in Christ's body and Joseph caught
the blood in the cup. This cup is the Holy Grail which King
Arthur and his knights searched for.
Some say that Joseph buried the cup in Chalice Hill and the blood
is the reason why the water from the Chalice Well is sometimes
red in colour. The water from the well is supposed to have
healing powers.
Other stories say that Joseph brought two cruets to Glastonbury;
one containing Christ's blood and the other his sweat.
The Tor
Glastonbury Tor is a tall hill which
can be seen from many miles away as the surrounding land is very
flat. 'Tor' is an ancient word meaning 'hill'.
The hill looks very mysterious because there is a tower on the
top. It is all that remains of the old Chapel of St Michael. In
the old days it was thought that the Tor was the entrance to the
underworld where the old gods lived. If you stand on the Tor at
sunset you can easily believe in fairies, spirits and all those
other beings from myths and legends.
King Arthur
We will probably never know if King Arthur really lived in Glastonbury but he and his wife Guinevere are supposed to be buried in the old Abbey. His magical sword Excalibur was forged here, and it was at Glastonbury that he searched for the Holy Grail.
If all this isn't enough to convince you that Glastonbury is a special place, here are a few more things to make you think: