Aspects of Avalon

On a low mound in the Somerset Levels near Athelney there is a monument to King Alfred. In January 878 the Viking king Guthrum launched a surprise attack on Alfred at Chippenham, and King Alfred was forced to fall back, to Athelney in the Somerset Levels. King Alfred took refuge at an old Iron age hillfort, and here he planned his reprisal. In May of the same year he launched the fierce battle of Edington, where Alfred vanquished Guthrum's Viking army, the remnants withdrew to Chippenham and surrendered.  King Alfred's monument     Guthrum converted to Christianity an Alfred became king of Wessex, which is the start of what we now know as England. In 888 Alfred built a monastery on this site, which was destroyed in the Dissolution of the monasteries, so now this monument is all that can be seen. It was built in 1801 by John Slade. Bust of King Alfred on the monument The inscription reads  “King Alfred the Great in the year of Our Lord 879 having been defeated ...

These veterans are Gog and Magog, and they have had a troubled history in recent years, each one has been set alight by berks leaving tea-lights. The combination of fire and living wood is not a happy one : There is someone out there, possibly still in the Avalon landscape, sitting with the knowledge that, in their misguided understanding of ‘honouring the trees’, they instead have burnt the bugger down. Magog is in the foreground, the still living tree, with Gog behind I didn't get to see Gog and Magog properly on this visit, because the trees are surrounded by a whacking great fence pretty much up to adult eye height. The notice posted on it says that  Spring is just around the corner and you will see everything bounce back and blossom. The fence will blend naturally into the landscape Err, no, it bloody well won't. I can see why the landowner wants to fence this off to stop twits putting tealights into the trees and climbing the branches, but no way is that fence goi...

 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...

The Tor dominates the surrounding countryside. Surprisingly, it's often not so visible in the town, for instance it is almost invisible from the Abbey, where it is hidden by the rounded bulk of Chalice Hill. It rises majestically from the Somerset Levels, and there is a symbiotic relationship between the Tor and the Chalice Well. The Tor is surmounted by the ruined tower of St Michael's Chapel. How do you like your ascent, steep or less steep? Many visitors to Glastonbury want to climb the Tor, and there are good views to be had over the Somerset Levels from the top. There are two routes - a steep route from Stone Down Lane approaching from the north-east, and and less steep route that starts from Wellhouse Lane very near the Chalice Well approaching from the west. The steep route ascends roughly the left-hand side in the header image here, the route from the Chalice Well ascends the right-hand side. You start from roughly 20m at the Abbey car park and the top is 158m. In summ...

 The High Street is a fascinating, otherworldly place, with interesting nooks and crannies. It's more Harry Potter than normal British high street. It reflects the rich heritage of the town as a spiritual centre in the past, and a different kind of spirituality now. Unusually, most of the shops are independently run, and this diversity gives the High Street an old-world charm. Let's face it, there's not much need for a chain of crystal shops,  most of what's sold isn't to be found in most High Streets.  The High Street at night. More night photos here You don't come to Glastonbury High street to pick up your daily supplies. You come here for crystals, esoteric books, sound bowls, Goddess paraphernalia and spiritual supplies.  Glastonbury draws in visitors from all over the world, though particularly from Europe. More recently it is the site of the first modern Goddess temple in recent years, but all sorts of spiritual traditions are catered for.  

The Egg Stone by the back of the Abbot's Kitchen in Glastonbury Abbey is widely known and easy to visit. There's an even bigger one on Glastonbury Tor which sits high up on the south side of Glastonbury Tor. It isn't visible from the top due to the lie of the land, despite being about twice as big of  the Abbey stone. Egg Stone on the south side of Glastonbury Tor This isn't an ancient megalith, rather a natural phenomenon called Tor Burrs of hardened material being ejected from the softer ground. There are a few smaller stones of a similar material by the side of the tourist path coming up from Fair Field starting from Wellhouse Lane A smaller pair of these stones by a low bench and one by the side of the path The Egg stone at Glastonbury Abbey behind the Abbot's Kitchen is a rather smaller affair than the Tor Egg stone The Egg Stone behind the Abbot's Kitchen at Glastonbury Abbey