Sights in Glastonbury
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Glastonbury Tor
The iconic hump of Glastonbury Tor looms up from flat fields to the northwest of town. This 160m-high grassy mound provides glorious views over the surrounding countryside, and a focal point for a bewildering array of myths. According to some it's the home of a faery king, while an old Celtic legend identifies it as the stronghold of Gwyn ap Nudd (ruler of Annwyn, the Underworld) – but the most famous legend identifies the tor as the mythic Isle of Avalon, where King Arthur was taken after being mortally wounded in battle by his nephew Mordred, and where Britain's 'once and future king' sleeps until his country calls again.
Whatever the truth of the legends, the tor has …
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Glastonbury Abbey
Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea, great-uncle of Jesus, owned mines in this area and returned here with the Holy Grail (the chalice from the Last Supper) after the death of Christ. Joseph supposedly founded England's first church on the site, now occupied by the ruined abbey, but the earliest proven Christian connection dates from the 7th century, when King Ine gave a charter to a monastery in Glastonbury. In 1184 the church was destroyed by fire and reconstruction began in the reign of Henry II.
In 1191, monks claimed to have had visions confirming hints in old manuscripts that the 6th-century warrior-king Arthur and his wife Guinevere were buried in the abbey groun…
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Chalice Well & Gardens
People have been dunking, drinking and paddling at the Chalice Well & Gardens, a natural spring just below Glastonbury Tor, for at least 2000 years. The rust-red waters from this ancient well are rumoured to have healing properties, good for everything from eczema to smelly feet. Their distinctive crimson colour supposedly stems from the burial of the Holy Grail nearby, although it's actually a result of iron deposits in the soil.
The well is surrounded by lovely gardens dotted with babbling pools and gnarled yew trees, and you can fill up your flasks with the sacred water from a lion's-head spout.
The Chalice Well is also known as the 'Red Spring' or 'Blood Spring'; its s…
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Lake Village Museum
Upstairs from Glastonbury's tourist office, in the medieval courthouse, the Lake Village Museum displays finds from a prehistoric bog village discovered in nearby Godney. The houses in the village were clustered in about six groups and were built from reeds, hazel and willow. It's thought they were occupied by summer traders who lived the rest of the year at Glastonbury Tor.
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Shoe Museum
A couple of miles south of Glastonbury is Street, once the site of Britain's largest shoe factory, Clark's. The footwear factory's long since hiked overseas, but the town's shoe connections continue at the huge Clark's factory-outlet shop and a rather odd Shoe Museum, which explores the history of shoemaking from Roman sandals to high-heeled stilettos.
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Rural Life Museum
Somerset's agricultural heritage is explored at the Rural Life Museum, which contains a varied collection of artefacts relating to traditional trades such as willow growing, peat digging, cider making and cheese making. There are often live displays of local skills, so if you fancy trying your hand at beekeeping, lace making and spinning, this is the place to do it. The late 14th-century tithe barn has fine carvings on the gables and porch, and an impressive timber roof; it now houses a collection of vintage agricultural machinery.
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Chalice Well & Gardens
Shaded by knotted yew trees and surrounded by peaceful paths, the Chalice Well and Gardens have been sites of pilgrimage since the days of the Celts. The iron-red waters from the 800-year-old well are rumoured to have healing properties, good for everything from eczema to smelly feet; some legends also identify the well as the hiding place of the Holy Grail. In fact, the reddish waters are caused by iron deposits in the soil. You can drink the water from a lion's-head spout, or rest your feet in basins surrounded by flowers.
The Chalice Well is also known as the 'Red Spring' or 'Blood Spring'; its sister, White Spring, surfaces across Wellhouse Lane.
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