Glastonbury

I've been to Glastonbury twice before; once when the girls were small and once again with E at the start of her MPhil. On the latter occasion, we had gone to Burnham on Sea for a couple of days to celebrate the end of her degree. As it turned out, the delights of B.o.S. were limited and we whizzed through them in a single day. Knowing my youngest's hippy tendencies, I suggested Glastonbury as a place for a trip and have happy memories of a very enjoyable day, with some delicious vegan food thrown into the bargain.

R, however, hadn't been for a while and so, when pondering about a weekend away, I suggested it as a possible destination. Metcheck didn't look too promising the week before, showers being forecast. In the event, we were very lucky indeed, and enjoyed glorious sunshine for the whole weekend.

We set off early on Saturday morning, with a picnic of bagels in tow, meandering along A roads and arriving just before lunchtime. Saving the bagels for later, we refreshed ourselves with pots of tea and a shared piece of (very yummy!) chocolate cake from Rainbow's End Cafe. This was a veggie/vegan cafe with an excellent menu, along with an adjoining beautiful garden. 

Suitably fortified, we pottered slowly along the High Street, popping into the numerous independent, and decidedly quirky, shops. The locals were a colourful bunch too. One chap sat in the sunshine feeding his parrot (named Zulu, I asked!) orange segments before settling it down for an afternoon nap!

The air was thick with the smell of cannabis and I was amused to see a female police officer threatening to fine one chap for drinking a bottle of alcohol, whilst, behind her on the church grass, there was a low smog of fumes as hippies blatantly lit up. Maybe the usual rules don't apply in Glastonbury?

Glastonbury Tribunal: This 15th Century building was a merchant's house and shop. It was previously thought to have been the Abbey's courthouse, hence the name:

Glastonbury Market Cross, erected in 1846:

Realising that I had forgotten to pack a book, I bought a 50p copy of Susan Hill's ghostly 'The Mist in the Mirror' from one of the many charity shops. I also splashed out on some incense and a crystal which currently hangs in my living room window, throwing rainbows round the walls. Well, it was Glastonbury, it would have been rude not to!

We then paid to go into Glastonbury Abbey and enjoyed our picnic in the grounds by the ruins:

The Abbey, founded in the 8th Century, was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England. Suppressed during Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, the last Abbot was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539:

The Abbot's Kitchen:

Fish in one of the 2 ponds in the grounds:

St. Patrick's Chapel, set within the Abbey grounds:

Late afternoon, we set off for our B&B. As our trip had been organised at the last minute, available hotels/guest houses in Glastonbury itself were not only few and far between but also expensive. Ashcott is a small village 5 miles away. It was easily accessible and, in retrospect, probably much quieter in the evenings compared to staying in Glastonbury itself. Our accommodation was 'The Lawns', a converted residential home that now hosts events and acts as a restaurant and B&B.

The room was pleasant and clean and , even though we appeared to be the first vegans they had hosted, the breakfast was more than acceptable - once they had obligingly removed the fried egg!

View from our room:

We popped back into Glastonbury for dinner at the 'Elaichi Tandoori'. The food was delicious and the mango juice more than made up for the alcohol-free menu. Well I thought so, R wasn't entirely convinced!

First on Sunday's list was a trip to the Chalice Well and Gardens. This, along with the walk up the Tor, was my favourite bit of our trip. Run by the Chalice Well Trust, founded by Wellesley Tudor Pole in 1959, the well and surrounding gardens are a sanctuary designed to soothe the soul and revive the spirits. The gardens surrounding the 'Red Spring' (so called because of the iron content of the water) were incredibly peaceful. My soul was certainly soothed and I could have sat there all day, listening to the birds and the running water. 

The Vesica Pool:

The Healing Pool - note the red staining owing to the iron content of the water:

The Lion's Head - the pure spring water can be drunk here. It had a blood-like taste, presumably the iron content again.

The Well Head and Sanctuary - the cover features a wrought iron Vesica Piscis with a lance passing through it. This ancient symbol of 2 interlocking circles apparently symbolises the union of Heaven and Earth or spirit and matter. The symbol appeared throughout the gardens.

Round the corner from the Chalice Well and Gardens, lies The White Spring. This cavernous, candle-lit sacred space is used for meditation, prayer and reflection. When we arrived, a chap had decided to get his kit off, plunged into the pool and then sat chanting at the water's edge. It didn't really add much to the quiet, reflective atmosphere!

St. Michael's Tower on the top of Glastonbury Tor:

The climb up to the Tor is a trifle steep but well worth it for the view.  158m high, you can see 5 counties from the summit. Well's Cathedral is clearly visible 5 miles away - my geography isn't that great and I hadn't realised that Wells was so close.

We sat at the top admiring the view for quite some time, before returning to the town and Rainbow's End Cafe for a late lunch/early dinner before heading home:

Even though it felt like longer, we had only been away for 2 days. Hamish barely had time to miss us! 

If you can cope with the ever-present smell of cannabis, Glastonbury is a great place for a mini-break and, as viewed from the Tor, there are plenty of other places nearby if you want to extend your visit.

I'll leave you with a photo of my souvenir:

Toodle pip for now. x