You can see countless forgotten tombs, man-made hills, and figures carved into hillsides whose stories will never be fully understood.Īvebury stone circle, the largest prehistoric stone circle in Britain and a World Heritage Site. Since the society that built that labyrinth worshipped a mother goddess, the hill is seen by many today as a symbol of the Sacred Feminine.įor those fascinated with mysterious Britain, a world of sights awaits within a short drive of Glastonbury. It’s too out-there for the mainstream church, but just right for those looking for a place to recharge their crystals. Today, Glastonbury is a centre for searchers. In an 18th-century tourism campaign, thousands signed affidavits stating that water from the Chalice Well healed them, putting Glastonbury on the tourist map. Two centuries later, Glastonbury rebounded. For emphasis, he hanged and quartered the abbot, sending his body on four national tours - at the same time. In the 16th century, Henry VIII, on a rampage against the power of the monasteries, destroyed Glastonbury Abbey.
Mix the scant ruins of England’s oldest church with the mystique of King Arthur and Holy Grail, add the hard work of a busy monastery, and, by the 12th century, Glastonbury was the leading Christian pilgrimage site in all of Britain.Īt its peak, Glastonbury Abbey was England’s most powerful and wealthy, part of a network of monasteries that by the year 1500 owned a quarter of all English land, and had four times the income of the king. Eventually, a great abbey rose on the site. Article contentĮngland’s first Christian sanctuary was built right next to the Chalice Well. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.