In the darktimes of pre-recordered history there are legends of The Isle of Avalon as the place of the dead. A sacred burial ground and later a druidical college. Legends tell us of the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea after the crucifixion of Jesus and as we move into historical times we see the great Benedictine Abbey of Glaston dominating the town. Through archaeology we can see something of the early history of Glastonbury. The Tor and some of the surrounding land was an island joined to the mainland by a narrow peninsular. The island was surrounded by tidal marshes which gave good natural protection.
In Neolithic times there were people living in Lake Villages near the island but there seem to have been few if any resident inhabitants. The island appears to have been treated as sacred place from the earliest days.
In the middle ages we see Glastonbury emerging as great centre of pilgrimage. The reason for the importance of this small town in a remote part of Somerset was partially the ancient tradition of the Isle of Avalon as a sacred site and partially the Christian history and tradition personified by the great Benedictine Abbey. The heart of the Abbey was the Abbey Church where the choir monks lived a life of prayer complemented by writing, teaching, illuminating manuscripts, caring for the sick and poor and looking after the pilgrims visiting the monastery. These activities were supported by the secular work of the monks, the managing of their land and farms. All this was in turn supported by the town - by the shopkeepers, farmers, craftsmen and professionals of every kind.
We are not going to attempt to produce a history of Glastonbury on this site. What we will attempt to do is compile a list of links to other sites that are relevant. Please contact us if you have a site you wish to be added.
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Essays, papers, lists, guides and more to enhance your study of the town that is central to the Arthurian story. Includes:
* The Shrines of Glastonbury Abbey - As one of the major places of pilgrimage in Britain, the Abbey housed many holy bodies, but the origins of some were more dubious than others.
* Abbots of Glastonbury Abbey - A complete listing, with some biographical links.
* Magical Glastonbury - An original article by Geoffrey Ashe.
* Glastonbury Reading List - A selected listing of pertinent books.
* Glastonbury Abbey - A study of its role in the development of the legends of Arthur and St. Joseph of Arimathea. Expanded, with new speculations and new conclusions.
* King Arthur's Burial Cross - Revised and expanded! A survey of the known facts about the burial cross of King Arthur that was allegedly found along with his grave at Glastonbury Abbey in 1191.
* Magical History Tour: Glastonbury - A traveller's overview of the town's highlights.
* On the Special Nature of Glastonbury - An original article by John Michell.
 | Glastonbury Antiquarian Society
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The Society’s extended library is now based in the County Library in Archers Way. Members of the Society have access to the Library and the Lake Village collection at such times that the Archers Way Library and the Tribunal TIC are open to the public. Members also enjoy a range of public lectures and field trips—usually of Glastonbury related subjects.
 | Glastonbury Conservation Society
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The Glastonbury Conservation Society was founded in 1971 in appreciation of our built and natural environment here at Glastonbury, in Somerset, England.
 | Glastonbury's History and a Glastonbury Timeline
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Conventional and unconventional views on the history of Glastonbury. This page contains too many links to other resources for us to be able to list them here..
 | Somerset Heritage & Archives
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The Historic Environment Service provides information and advice on the built environment of Somerset. As well as archaeology, we deal with Listed Buildings (particularly those in West Somerset and Sedgemoor Districts) and Conservation Areas.
You can access the Somerset Historic Environment Record which gives information on archaeological sites and buildings.
The Somerset Archive and Record Service exists to find, preserve and make available written records of Somerset's people and communities. The Service is provided by Somerset County Council and now holds many millions of original documents ranging in date from the eighth century AD to the present day.
 | Somerset TimeLine - History of Glastonbury
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The town of Glastonbury, at the heart of the county of Somerset, is one of the best-known places in England. Its historical and archaeological importance is out of all proportion to its relatively small size. Its fame rests chiefly upon myths generated ages ago which link the place to Joseph of Arimathea and King Arthur. But it is also celebrated for the ruins of its ancient abbey church, the Iron Age lake villages of Glastonbury and Meare and the Glastonbury Festival. In this web site it will be possible to trace the history of the town through themed journeys which examine:
* Glastonbury’s history, and what made the town the place it is today
* Glastonbury’s environmental setting and its influence on the way of life of the town’s inhabitants
* The Iron Age Glastonbury Lake Village
* The rise and fall of Glastonbury Abbey
* The town and its commerce
* Victorian Glastonbury town through the eyes of a typical resident
 | The Rutland Boughton Music Trust
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Rutland Boughton was born in Aylesbury on 23 January 1878. After studying under Sir Charles Stanford at the Royal College of Music, he spent some years as a musician in various London theatres before being offered a permanent teaching post by Sir Granville Bantock at Birmingham's Institute of Music. There he became known as a composer of orchestral and choral music. In 1914, and with the support of the Clark family (of shoe manufacturing fame), he established the first of his Glastonbury Festivals in order to provide a platform for his works and for any other music that accorded with his artistic ideals. The Festivals, the first of their kind to be seen in England, continued with increasing success and sophistication until the end of 1926, by which time he had mounted over 300 staged performances and 100 chamber concerts, besides related lectures, exhibitions and a series of innovative Summer Schools.
 | Timescapes Land & History
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Glastonbury is extraordinary. For centuries it was England’s most sacred place of pilgrimage and it remains unrivalled for its wealth of myth and legend. Glastonbury is home to the first church in Britain; it is the place where Joseph of Arimathea landed with the Holy Grail. The Tor, which rises from the Isle of Avalon, is the seat of the Goddess and a gateway to the Celtic Otherworld. Arthur was at Glastonbury; it is where Excalibur was forged. Most famously the Isle of Avalon is where Arthur came to heal his wounds. To match such rich legend, Glastonbury’s monastery was the wealthiest and most splendid in England. The great Abbey is ruined now, but Glastonbury is still one of Britian’s most sacred sites of pilgrimage; its astonishing wealth of myth still grows.
Topics covered include The Tor, The Lake Villages, Joseph of Arimithea, The Abbey & Chalice Well.
 | tracing the map
memorising glastonbury high street
Website website
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An audio-visual documentary in four parts tracing the changes to Glastonbury High street from 1900 to the year 2000.
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History