Aspects of Avalon

 They make a good effort with these crocuses, and by the Lady Chapel, snowdrops are the flowers of Imbolc. A song thrush was making a fine effort, with the sharp calls of the jackdaws as a counterpoint.  The low winter light brings out the figure of St Brigit in the worn carvings over the entrance to the Lady Chapel. Carving of St Bridget milking a cow The doorway with the carvings over the entrance to the Lady Chapel Glastonbury Abbey website

How accurate is the position St Bride’s Well Stone? The historic site of Bride’s Hill holds the site and footings of the early Brigid Chapel and burial site, but the FoBM land holds a site featured in more recent Glastonbury mythology. This was where the Blue Bowl was hidden in 1898, sometimes said to be Bride’s Well. The tale of the Blue Bowl links Bride’s Hill, Chalice Well, and some luminaries of the early-twentieth century revival of mystical Glastonbury. Patrick Benham, erstwhile editor of the 1970s alternative magazine Torc called this group The Avalonians, and the story of the Blue Bowl is told well in his book 1 of the same name. The whereabouts of this feature is of interest to some modern pilgrims, and there’s some doubt about its location due to 20th century hydrological work. I have set out to examine this, using Dr John Goodchild’s sketch map, historical mapping and post-war aerial photography. We now have the privilege of some quite large scale historical mapping ava