Glastonbury
Glastonbury shown within Somerset
Population	8,800
OS grid reference	ST501390
District	Mendip
Shire county	Somerset
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GLASTONBURY
Postcode district	BA6
Dialling code	01458
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Wells
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Coordinates: 51°08′55″N 2°42′50″W / 51.1485, -2.714

Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the Somerset Levels, 50km (31 miles) south of Bristol. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Mendip is also a shortened name for The Mendip Hills, from which this district takes its name Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Bath postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Bath, Bradford on Avon, Bruton, Castle Cary, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the Home Office Police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset and The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service or FRS, covering the counties of Devon and Somerset; it Divisions & Stations The trust is split into 2 divisions West - Devon and Cornwall including West Divisional HQ 999 and PTS Control at South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Wells is a County constituency centred on the city of Wells in Somerset. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns Villages and hamlets in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the geographical term for the artistic technique see Dry point engraving In Geography a dry point is an area The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly called is a sparsely populated Wetland area of central Somerset A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The town has a population of 8,800 (2002 estimate). In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It is in the Mendip district. Mendip is also a shortened name for The Mendip Hills, from which this district takes its name

The town is known for its history, including Glastonbury Lake Village, Glastonbury Abbey and Glastonbury Tor, the many myths and legends associated with the town, and the Glastonbury Festival which takes place in the nearby village of Pilton. Glastonbury Lake Village was an Iron age village on the Somerset Levels near Godney, some north west of Glastonbury. Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Glastonbury Tor is a Hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St For the classical music and theatre festivals co-founded by Rutland Boughton between 1914 and 1926 see Glastonbury Festival (1914-1925 The Pilton is a village in Somerset, England, situated on the A361 road in the Mendip district 3 miles (5 km south west of Shepton

Contents 1 History and mythology 2 The town today 3 Local people 4 Transport 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

History and mythology

The town of Glastonbury is particularly notable for the myths and legends surrounding a nearby hill, Glastonbury Tor, which rises up from the otherwise flat landscape of the Somerset Levels. Glastonbury Tor is a Hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly called is a sparsely populated Wetland area of central Somerset These myths concern Joseph of Arimathea and the Holy Grail, and also King Arthur. Joseph of Arimathea was according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders Glastonbury is also said to be the centre of several ley lines. Ley lines are hypothetical alignments of a number of places of geographical interest such as ancient Monuments and Megaliths Their existence was suggested

The legend of Joseph of Arimathea was the result of a work of fiction by the french poet Robert de Boron in the 12th century. Joseph of Arimathea was according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion Robert de Boron (also spelled in the manuscripts "Bouron" "Beron" was a French poet of the late 12th and early 13th centuries originally from the village The original story was likely written after the monks of Glastonbury "discovered" the bodies of King Arthur and Guinevere, and is also known as Joseph d'Arimathe or Le Roman de I'Estoire dou Graal^[1]. It is thought to be part of a trilogy but only fragments of the later books survive today. The author is best known for his Arthurian romances centred around the Holy Grail, and became the inspiration for the later Vulgate Cycle of Arthurian tales and the subsequent Matter of Britain. The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the Legends that concern the Celtic and legendary History of Great Britain, especially those

The original story describes how Joseph captured Jesus' blood in a cup (the Holy Grail) and that subsequently he and his son brought it to somewhere in Britain, probably Avalon, where they were imprisoned by a pagan king. Later stories (the Vulgate Cycle) added new plots and scenes, which completely reworked Boron's original tale. The Lancelot-Grail, also known as the Prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend Here, Joseph of Arimathea was no longer the chief character in the Grail origin. It was Joseph's son, Josephus, who took over his role of the Grail keeper ^[2].

Today, Glastonbury Abbey presents itself as "traditionally the oldest above-ground Christian church in the World," which according to the legend was built at Joseph's behest to house the Holy Grail, 65 or so years after the death of Jesus. Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The legend also says that earlier Joseph had visited Glastonbury along with Jesus as a child. The legend probably was encouraged in the mediaeval period when religious relics and pilgrimages were profitable business for abbeys. However William Blake believed in this legend and wrote the poem that became the words to the patriotic English song, 'Jerusalem' (see And did those feet in ancient time). William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827 was an English poet, painter, and Printmaker. " And did those feet in ancient time " is a short Poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem (1804

Joseph is said to have arrived in Glastonbury by boat over the flooded Somerset Levels. On disembarking he stuck his staff into the ground, which flowered miraculously into the Glastonbury Thorn (or Holy Thorn). Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. This is the explanation behind the existence of a hybrid hawthorn tree that only grows within a few miles of Glastonbury. Hawthorn ( Crataegus) is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in

History of Christianity
in England

General
Anglican Communion Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales Calendar of saints (Church of England)
Early
Joseph of Arimathea Legend of Christ in Britain Christianity in Roman Britain
Post-Roman
Anglo-Saxon Christianity
Reformation
Wars of the Three Kingdoms Dissolution of the Monasteries Anglicanism English Reformation Marian Persecutions Oxford Martyrs
Post-Reformation
Puritanism and the Restoration English Civil War 18th Century Church of England 19th Century Church of England Catholic Emancipation Church of England (Recent)
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This hawthorn flowers twice annually, once in spring and again around Christmas time (depending on the weather). See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches The Catholic Church in England and Wales is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, The Church of England commemorates many of the same Saints as those in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, mostly on the same days but also commemorates various Joseph of Arimathea was according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a Dry point on the Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 The history of Christianity in England from the Roman departure to the Norman Conquest is often told as one of conflict between the Celtic Christianity The Wars of the Three Kingdoms (sometimes known as the Wars of the Three Nations) formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in Scotland, The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope The Marian Persecutions refers to the persecutions of Religious Reformers Protestants and other Dissenters for their beliefs during the reign of Mary I of England The Oxford Martyrs were tried for Heresy in 1555 and subsequently Burnt at the stake in Oxford, England, for their religious beliefs This article is an expansion of a section entitled '''History''' from within the main article Church of England The history The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. This article is an expansion of a section entitled '''History''' from within the main article Church of England The history This article is an expansion of a section entitled '''History''' from within the main article Church of England The history Catholic Emancipation (Fuascailt na gCaitliceach or Catholic Relief, was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th This article is an expansion of a section entitled '''History''' from within the main article Church of England The history Each year a sprig of thorn is cut by the local Church of England priest and the eldest child from St Johns school, which is then sent to the Queen to feature on her Christmas table top.

The original Holy Thorn was a centre of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages but was chopped down during the English Civil War (in legend the roundhead soldier who did it was blinded by a flying splinter). The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. A replacement thorn was planted in the 20th century on Wearyall hill (originally in 1951 to mark the Festival of Britain; but the thorn had to be replanted the following year as the first attempt did not take); but many other examples of the thorn grow throughout Glastonbury including those in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey, St Johns Church and Chalice Well. The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which opened in London and around Britain in May 1951 Chalice Well is a holy well situated at the foot of Glastonbury Tor in the county of Somerset, England.

In some versions of the Arthurian myth, Glastonbury is conceived of as the legendary island of Avalon. Avalon (probably from the Celtic word abal: apple see Etymology below is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, famous for its beautiful An early Welsh story links Arthur to the Tor in an account of a face-off between Arthur and the Celtic king, Melwas, who had apparently kidnapped Arthur's wife Queen Guinevere. Guinevere was the legendary Queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first Geoffrey of Monmouth first identified Glastonbury with Avalon in 1133. Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c In 1191, monks at the Abbey claimed to have found the graves of Arthur and Guinevere to the south of the Lady Chapel of the Abbey church, which was visited by a number of contemporary historians including Giraldus Cambrensis. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or A chapel is a holy place or area of Worship for Christians, which may be attached to an institution such as a large church, a College, a Gerald of Wales (c 1146 &ndash c 1223 also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, The remains were later moved, and lost during the Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Many scholars suspect that this discovery was a pious forgery to substantiate the antiquity of Glastonbury's foundation, and increase its renown.

Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury, was executed with two of his monks on 14 November, 1539 during the dissolution of the monasteries.

Also, according to some versions of the Arthurian legend, it was Glastonbury Abbey to which Lancelot retreated in penance following the death of Arthur. In the Arthurian legend, Sir Lancelot ( Lancelot du Lac, also Launcelot) is one of the Knights of the Round Table.

The town today

Glastonbury today is a centre for religious tourism and pilgrimage. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Diverse strains of mysticism and paganism co-exist alongside the followers of its Catholic heritage. Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity As with many towns of similar size, the centre is not as thriving as it once was but Glastonbury supports a remarkable number of alternative shops. The outskirts of the town include a DIY shop and the slow redevelopment of a former sheepskin and slipper factory site, once owned by Morlands. Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, sometimes also called lambskin or lambswool. Morlands is a manufacturer of Sheepskin jackets boots and other footwear based in Glastonbury in Somerset, England. Although the redevelopment has been slow, clearance of the site has begun with a dramatic change to its appearance.

Glastonbury received national media coverage when, in 1999, cannabis plants were found in the town's floral displays. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Cannabis ( Cán-na-bis) is a Genus of Flowering plants that includes three putative species Cannabis sativa subsp

The ruins of the abbey are open to visitors; the abbey had a violent end during the Dissolution and the buildings were progressively destroyed as their stones were removed for use in local building work. Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded The remains of the Abbot's Kitchen (a grade I listed building. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance ^[3]) and the Lady Chapel are particularly well-preserved. Not far away is situated the Somerset Rural Life Museum, which includes the restored Abbey Barn. The Somerset Rural Life Museum is situated in Glastonbury, Somerset, UK. ^[4] Other points of interest include St. John's Church, the Chalice Well, and the historic George and Pilgrims Inn,^[5] built to accommodate visitors to the Abbey. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Chalice Well is a holy well situated at the foot of Glastonbury Tor in the county of Somerset, England.

The walk up the Tor to the distinctive tower at the summit (the partially restored remains of an old church) is rewarded by vistas of the Mid-Somerset area including the Levels, drained marshland. From there, 150m above sea level, it is easy to appreciate how Glastonbury was once an island and, in the winter, the surrounding moors are often flooded, giving that appearance once more.

The local football side is Glastonbury F.C.

Local people

• King Arthur and Guinevere were supposedly buried at Glastonbury Abbey
• Gary Stringer, lead singer of Reef, attended St Dunstan's school in Glastonbury for a brief period. Glastonbury Town FC are a football club based in Glastonbury, England. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders Guinevere was the legendary Queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Reef were an English Rock band from Butleigh, near Glastonbury.
• Richard Whiting was the last Abbot of Glastonbury. The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity.
• The occultist and writer Dion Fortune lived and is buried in Glastonbury. Violet Mary Firth Evans, born Violet Mary Firth ( December 6 1890 - 1946 and better known as Dion Fortune, was a British
• Frederick Bligh Bond, archaeologist and writer
• The writer and historian Geoffrey Ashe, known for his works on local legends, lives in Glastonbury, in the house that had once belonged to Dion Fortune. Frederick Bligh Bond ( 30 June 1864 &ndash 8 March 1945) was an English architect archaeologist and psychical researcher Geoffrey Ashe (born 29 March 1923) is a British cultural historian a writer of Non-fiction books and a few novels
• The juggler Haggis McLeod and his wife Arabella Churchill

Transport

The Glastonbury Canal ran just over 14 miles through two locks from Glastonbury to Highbridge where it entered the Bristol Channel in the early 1800s, however this became uneconomic with the arrival of the railway. The Glastonbury Canal ran for just over through two locks from Glastonbury to Highbridge in Somerset, England, where it entered the A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal Waterways. Highbridge is a Somerset Market town situated on very edge of the Somerset Levels near the mouth of the River Brue. The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset

Glastonbury and Street was the biggest station on the original Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway main line from Highbridge to Evercreech Junction until closed in 1966 under the Beeching axe. Glastonbury and Street railway station was the biggest station on the original Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway main line from Highbridge to Evercreech Junction The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Evercreech Junction was a railway station at Evercreech on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government 's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system It was the junction for the short branch line to Wells which closed in 1951. Wells is a small Cathedral city and Civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip

References

• Geoffrey Ashe, King Arthur's Avalon: The Story of Glastonbury, 1957

See also

• Glastonbury Tor
• Glastonbury Abbey
• A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys
• King Arthur
• Landscape Zodiac

External links

• Glastonbury at the Open Directory Project
• Official town council and community website
• map of Glastonbury circa 1900
• Virtual Glastonbury - photography and media archive
• Welcome to Glastonbury - unofficial site describing key sites in the town
• Glastonbury at The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey by Clare Gathercole
• Benedictine Abbey of Glastonbury A History of the County of Somerset: Vol 2: (1911)
• Photos of Glastonbury in 3d (Anaglyphs)

Geoffrey Ashe (born 29 March 1923) is a British cultural historian a writer of Non-fiction books and a few novels Glastonbury Tor is a Hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. A Glastonbury Romance is a novel by John Cowper Powys, published in 1932 John Cowper Powys (ˌdʒɒn ˌkuːpɚ ˈpoʊɪs ( October 8, 1872 - June 17, 1963) was a British writer lecturer and philosopher King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders A landscape zodiac (or terrestrial zodiac) is a map of the stars on a gigantic scale formed by features in the landscape such as roads streams and field boundaries The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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