Glastonbury Abbey

Few places in Britain are as rich in myth and legend as Glastonbury. Tradition maintains that the impressive ruins mark the birthplace of Christianity in Britain. Joseph of Arimathea is said to have founded a chapel here in AD61, planting his staff in the ground where it flowered both at Christmas and Easter. Later, it is said, King Arthur and Guinevere were buried here, and the abbey has been a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. The present abbey ruins date mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries. The display area contains artefacts and a model of the Abbey as it might have been in 1539. Thirty-six acres of grounds including two ponds, an orchard and wildlife areas. Special events throughout the year, see website for details.