| In The
Mists Of Avalon |
| Glastonbury,
England |
| September
2005
From 2001
to 2003 I lived in a small rural village in Somerset, England. You
are probably picturing me strolling around meandering cobbled alleyways
and pruning the roses in my cottage garden now. Bored to death, most likely.
But you’d be wrong. Because the tiny historic market town (population:
8800) that I called home was not your average rural English idyll. Not
by a long shot.
Legend tells
us that when King Uther died, England was left without a king. How to find
one? A cunning plan was devised. The wizard Merlin placed a sword in
a stone, saying that only the rightful heir to the throne would have
the power to remove it. You know the ending, of course. The young, unknown
Arthur was crowned King after passing the test. |
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He went on
to marry Guinevere (whose father gave him the famous round table as
a dowry) and was finally killed in the war against the Romans. The
story goes on to say that, after being mortally wounded by Mordred, Arthur
was brought to the mythical Isle of Avalon in a sacred boat.
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Arthur and
his Queen, Guinevere, were put to rest side by side in the holy earth of
Avalon. And it is here in Avalon that Arthur awaits the day when Britain
requires his services as the ‘once and future king’. |
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| Which brings
me back to the present day. You see, the place known in Arthurian lore
as the Isle of Avalon is today known as Glastonbury, England. Yes, you
guessed it. My old home town. I told you, it’s not your ordinary sort
of place….
Glastonbury,
a small town situated about 220 km (125 miles) west of London, stands at
the centre of many a myth and legend. It has long been a pilgrimage place,
attracting travellers from all over the world, who are all drawn here for
different reasons and purposes.
The town, which
lies in a triangle with the enormous stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury
(which you can still visit today), is thought to have played an important
role in Druidic times (2,000-2,500 years ago) and even further back, in
Megalithic times, up to 4,000 years ago. Clearly, this is a town with bags
of history - and a highly unusual one at that. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| For centuries
Glastonbury has fascinated artists, travellers and poets alike. Recently,
the town has experienced something of a revival and has become a mecca
for creative types and free spirited individualists (much to the chagrin
of some of the more conservatively minded locals!). A walk along the
High Street further confirms that Glastonbury is quite unlike any other
town. Here, shops are called ‘Psychic Piglet’ or ‘The Speaking Tree’. Your
more fanciful retail needs are definitely catered for here.
Whether it’s
Indian or Balinese home décor and furniture, crystal jewellery or
second hand books on metaphysics that you’re looking for, you’ll never
have to look far in Glastonbury’s High Street. Not only are the shops interesting,
the crowd is worth a look (or two) as well. Take the colourful array of
buskers, musicians and street artists for instance, who are out and about
on all but the rainiest of days. Recently these have included bagpipers
and saxophone players, as well as a guy with an electric zither – and they’re
surprisingly good (well, most of the time!).
For a town
this small, Glastonbury has a staggering amount of tourist attractions
and places of interest for you to visit (in fact, they’re so popular, you’ll
meet many of the locals there, too). |
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| One of the
most prominent sites in town is the Glastonbury Tor (tor means rocky
hill or peak). This famous structure is one of Somerset’s most renowned
landmarks and has become inextricably linked to Glastonbury. You’ll meet
it in many guises… on silk cushions, jewellery, plates and paintings. The
Tor is a 500-foot-high conical hill which is crowned by the Tor Hill single
tower - a ruin of what was once a church dedicated to St Michael. The Tor
is remarkable in that it is visible at vast distances from across the Somerset
levels and yet is invisible at certain angles close-by. It really is a
striking and inspiring landmark. I highly recommend climbing the Tor on
a clear day. The view you get from the top is well worth the effort:
to the north you will see the Mendip Hills together with the city of Wells
and its stunning cathedral, to the west the island of Steep Holm in the
Bristol Channel, to the southwest the Polden and Quantock Hills and the
Black mountains of Wales in the far distance. |
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| You can
even see all the way to two bordering counties from here: Dorset lies
to the south, whereas to the east you’ll find the Alfred's Tower on the
borders of Wiltshire. The Tor has inspired many myths and legends. Some
claim that it was the birthplace of King Arthur, or, alternatively, the
location of his stronghold. According to another legend it’s the home of
the Faery King and the top of the Tor is a place of fairy visions and magic.
A Celtic legend, on the other hand, says that the hill is hollow and that
the top guards the entrance to the Underworld, as well as being the residence
of the Lord of the Underworld, Gwyn ap Nudd.
Another place
of interest that is well worth a visit is the Glastonbury Abbey (or, rather,
the ruins that are left of it). Reputedly the oldest place of Christian
worship in England, the Abbey has long been thought to be the legendary
burial place of King Arthur and his Queen, Guinevere. 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. It’s hard to tell today how
much of this story is true as the remains were later moved, and lost during
the Reformation. Modern researchers suspect that the discovery was a pious
forgery to substantiate the antiquity of Glastonbury's foundation, with
the aim of increasing its renown. However, this kind of scepticism does
not seem to bother the hords of tourists (people from over seventy countries
on six different continents visit the Abbey every year) in the slightest.
Whatever your beliefs on the matter - and even without Arthur - the appeal
of the Abbey remains … these ruins are without a doubt unique and the grounds
(36 acres of beautifully peaceful parkland) offer a peaceful and tranquil
place to relax and reflect, right in the centre of town.
Finally, there
are the Chalice Well Gardens, another attraction unique to Glastonbury
and quite unlike any other in the world. The Chalice Well is one of the
oldest continuously used holy wells in Britain. Archaeological research
has shown that the spring was used by prehistoric tribes who lived in the
area. It is thought that the spring has been in continuous use for the
past 2,000 years. A beautifully landscaped English garden has been created
around the spring, filled with flowers in vibrant colours and containing
two ancient, majestic Yew Trees. It’s a unique place of quiet reflection
and beauty, and one of my favourite places in Glastonbury.
Now, if all
this sight-seeing has made you hungry (or thirsty), there is a great
selection of cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars to choose from. As
you might expect, many specialize in vegetarian, vegan and/ or whole food
options. Particularly good are Rainbow’s End (excellent lunch menu, huge
portions) and Café Galatea (quality home cooked veggie food and
cakes, organic wine and beers).
Another thing
about Glastonbury that is unusual for a town its size … there’s always
something on. From weird to wonderful, you’ll find it all here. The town
plays host to such diverse events as an annual Crop Circle Symposium, a
Children's Festival (music, art, dance and play), an international Dance
Festival, a Goddess Conference and a Carnival. The biggest and most popular
by far though is, without a doubt, the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary
Performing Arts (it actually takes place on a farm in nearby Pilton, but
who cares), the largest greenfields and performing arts festival in the
world. The 150,000 or so tickets are usually sold out world wide within
30 seconds of their release and are more coveted than gold dust. (Maybe
you saw the festival on the news this year, the terrain was flooded after
a thunderstorm and the site looked like a third world refugee camp for
days – yes, I was there.)
So, now you’re
thinking, all this has to be seen to be believed, right? How do you get
here? Well, you’ll need a little bit of determination but, don’t worry,
as any true Glastonian will tell you, ‘if you’re meant to be here, you
will be’. Glastonbury can be difficult to get to but it's worth it. It
doesn't matter what method of transport you use, the final leg of your
journey will have to be by bus, taxi, car or foot. The nearest airport
is Bristol International. London Heathrow (which offers a much greater
choice of international flights) is a 2 – 2.5 hour drive. If you’re thinking
of seeing Glastonbury on a day trip, be sure to base yourself in the nearby
cities of Bath or Bristol. London is too far away to make for an enjoyable
day out. There is a connecting bus from Bristol Airport into Bristol centre
and to Temple Meads Railway station (it’s called the Bristol International
Flyer service). From Bristol there is a local bus to Glastonbury. I strongly
recommend hiring a car though. Somerset is a rural county (which makes
for its charm, of course) and you’ll enjoy greater freedom and get to see
much more with a car. In Glastonbury, there are dozens of B&Bs, as
well as a Backpackers and some smaller family hotels to choose from. Many
offer extras, such as Reiki, Meditation, Chanting and Mandala Painting.
Not sure what any of those are? Don’t worry. Come to Glastonbury, and you’ll
soon find out…
Of course,
once you’ve been here and seen for yourself all that Glastonbury has to
offer, you might find yourself thinking about joining the likes of Arabella
Churchill (granddaughter of Sir Winston) and Eckhart Tolle (author of The
Power of Now) and move here. It’s an addictive place. You’ve been warned
…
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