De Antiquitate Ecclesiae Glastonie, which was written in the early 12th century by William of Malmesbury, is a valuable historical source. In addition, there is a great deal of material relating to the later medieval period and afterwards. There are more than ninety Saxon charters relating to the town, dating from the 7th century onwards. They also had to manage the land and farms - all this in addition to praying.Īs a consequence of all this industry and the number of visitors, a thriving town had grown up to support the abbey. The monks led a busy life of writing and illuminating manuscripts, teaching, caring for the sick and the poor and, of course, looking after the many visiting pilgrims. This was partially connected with the ancient tradition of the Isle of Avalon as a sacred site but also because of the great Benedictine Abbey that now dominated the town. In the Middle Ages Glastonbury emerged as a centre of pilgrimage. Although there were people living in Iron Age lake villages near the island in Neolithic times, the island appears to have been uninhabited and treated as sacred place from the beginning. This is a little reminiscent of the Isle of Ely in the fens on the opposite side of England. The island was surrounded by tidal marshes which gave good natural protection.

Glastonbury Tor and some of the surrounding land was once an island, joined to the mainland by a narrow peninsular. The tree is believed to be a Levantine thorn, which flowers in May and at Christmas. One is in Glastonbury Abbey grounds, another in the churchyard of St John’s Church and the last in the garden of the vicarage. Today, there are three thorn trees known to have survived in Glastonbury. Eventually it died, but only after several trees had been budded from it. The huge flowering tree survived the Reformation, in spite of attempts to destroy it because of the supposed magical connections. The staff was transformed into a thorn tree. He was given some land there and planted his staff to stake his claim. The story goes that Joseph, who had been a wealthy merchant and traveller prior to his days as a missionary, came to a spot in Glastonbury known as Weary All. Other legends tell of the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea after the crucifixion of Jesus. Some legends even claim that the Holy Grail was buried here, so pagan and Christian beliefs go hand in hand. Avalon is often associated with the Arthurian legends, so Glastonbury has long been linked with King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Glastonbury has always been associated with this mythical place and it was certainly once a sacred burial ground, followed later by a druidical college. Ancient tradition tells tales of the Isle of Avalon, the place of the dead. What is history and what is legend? There are plenty of both at Glastonbury.

Was glastonbury tor an island