A magical mystery tour

MANY of the people going along to the Glastonbury Festival are unaware that it actually takes place in the village of Pilton seven miles from the town and so itis not uncommon to often find, just before the event, individuals wandering around the town looking for the site.

- By Godfrey Hall

Glastonbury has a very interesting history and is well worth a visit. Located just a ten-minute walk from the iconic Glastonbury Tor it has a past entwined in both Christianity and myth.

Glastonbury Abbey is a great place to start and can be found at the bottom of the High Street. It is the venue for the Glastonbury Extrava-ganza which takes place after the festival.

This always draws a large family audience and people often bring picnics to eat during the concert. Over the years we have seen a large number of impressive acts including Madness, Ray Davies, Paolo Nutini and Tom O'Dell.

The abbey’s history goes back to the late 7th century when special grants were made by three Saxon kings. This is probably the earliest reference to a church on the site. However, some believe that it was in fact settlers of Christ who established the first church during the Ist century. Whether or not this is true by the time the Normans arrived it was one of the richest abbeys in the land. A Grade 1 listed building was visited by around 210,000 people in 2024.