day 3

figure found at the Glastonbury Abbey Ruins

Day 3
The morning was beautiful, and I got up early and ready to roll. I got at the station quite early and took my way to Wells, where I would get another bus to Yevol and finally see the Giant. Ha! When I get to Wells I noticed I had the keys of the hostel room with me. The room I had left that morning, and the keys I should had left at the desk room. That was pretty bad. So I went back to Bath just to give the keys back to the hostel.
This meant goodbye to the Giant. Bath is one hour and ten minutes from Wells by bus. This means, I had lost one hour and ten, and other hour and ten, and would loose other hour and ten plus another hour, which was the gap between the buses. So I lost my morning and the sun, and decided to go to Glastonbury, because it was much closer.

center of Glastonbury

GLASTONBURY
Glastonbury still holds the name Isle of Avalon. It Claims to be the place where Joseph of Arimathea brought the little Jesus, when he came trade tin in Britain, and later founded here the first Catholic Church, and planted a thorn tree which flourishes in January and although been cut, has a crop planted until now. Joseph of Arimathea also had bring the the Holy Grail there in the year 63. It is where King Arthur and Gwinthyr were buried and exhumated, and buried again. Glastonbury were one of the seven islands that escaped from the flood, and the Tor of Glastonbury is a holy place for 10.000 years and its shape is said to be drawn following the design of a labyrinth.
It’s hard to believe in everything you listen about Glastonbury.

Tor of Glastonbury

But one thing it’s quite possible, the Tor of Glastonbury, this massive, extraordinary beautiful artificial mountain that stands just one mile south of the city is a very old pilgrimage center. It is accepted that the Tor been an iron age settlement between 300-200 BC, and after occupied by Romans, but it can be much older.

the Tor and the surrounding plateaus

The Tor is surrounded by plateaus which is still area of much debate, as it can be seen as agricultural steps, pilgrimage paths and even as a 3D labyrinth.
Like Silbury Hill, has a great impact in the landscape, and follow a similar plan. It is said that for several times the whole area been flooded, and it could turn the Tor an island. In the history of Britain, old and new, it is registred these floods. The Glastonbury Abbey as far as the 13th century requested areas for the kingdom to make barriers, channels and dikes in the rivers so they would not flood again.

model of the old Glastonbury Abbey

Unfortunately the reputation of the old monks of the Abbey was not the best. In more than one event it’s been proved that they fake findings and facts to take the fame and bring more pilgrims to the city. In medieval times as many relics a place could have, more pilgrims would go to it, and the monks of Glastonbury were experts in findings. that's why it is so difficult to believe in all those stories, but the legand and the visitors to the city never stop to come.
The way to the Tor should be clear I though, so with the orientation from the city’s map, I went there. But the map would not show the streets, and suddenly there’s no indication for where the Tor is, and –of course- I get lost. I went through a very difficult way inside some public pathwalks that would leave me nowhere until I found a BIG INDICATION, as I though it should be: TOR.

THE TOR, c'mon!

The climb of the Tor is relatively easy because it is all paved, so if you are not in a hurry, you can enjoy the beautiful view while you go up. There are 158 meters and the visual is breath taken. At the top there is the St.Michael’s tower, built in medieval times. I still had some time up there to enjoy the view and after I went down, it started to rain.
The tower was build in the XIII century and it was restored some times after that.

The Medieval Tower of St. Michael

the beautiful sight at the top of the Tor

I went to the abbey now in ruins and take a brief look at the city. The size of the ruins of the monastery shows the importance of the place, a 36 acre place from which little stands apart of the kitchen. It was one of the biggest monasteries in Europe, and it used to be very organized.
In the XI century the monks said to have found the grave of King Arthur and Guinevere into the Abbey, but it never could be proved. The monastery was destroyed by order of Henry VIII, and all its goods were confiscated. The Abad and his principal were hanged in the Tor, under accusation of hiding goods. The Abbey fell into ruins and was restored and excavated in the beginning of XX century. King Arthur's grave disappeared meanwhile.
Another usual story was that Joseph of Arimathea founded the church that give birth to the Monastery centuries later. That would be one of the first catholic churches in the world. According to the legend he went to trade tin in Cornwall and came back with a few followers of Jesus and settle in Glastonbury. There is a Thorn in the Abbey which is said to descend from the original Thorn that Joseph had bring from Jerusalém. It would be the thorn which coronate Christs head when he was crucified.

the ruins of the Old Abbey, destroyed at 1539
the crop of the sacred thorn, planted by Joseph of Arimathea according to the legend

What to say after that? I lost my bus connection to Bath, so I had to do the hard way via Bristol. A very tiring day indeed, and its good to be back.