Top 15 Experiences in Glastonbury, Somerset

Stranded among the drained marshes and peat bogs of the Somerset Levels, Glastonbury is a town situated below the enigmatic Glastonbury Tor hill.

For over a millennium, Glastonbury was the site of a powerful abbey, remaining impressive nearly five centuries after its suppression and subsequent ruin.

The abbey features captivating Gothic architecture, along with a variety of separate monuments, including a remarkable Medieval kitchen and a historic pub, all connected to the old monastery.

Glastonbury is rich in Christian and Pagan folklore, attracting a significant new age and Neo-Pagan community.

The hill, Glastonbury Tor, is a National Trust site featuring natural springs emerging from the depths of its rock, alongside large terrace rings on its slopes, purpose and origin of which remain a mystery.

Let us explore the finest attractions in Glastonbury:

1. Glastonbury Festival

A centerpiece of the UK summer festival season, Glastonbury is a world-renowned performing arts event that originated from the counterculture of the late 1960s.

Much has transformed since the inaugural free festival nearly five decades ago, particularly regarding ticket prices and their rapid sell-out.

Tickets become available as early as October, eight months prior to the event in late June, with the lineup usually announced around February.

Set on a farm a few miles east of the town, the festival features comedy, dance, theater, circus acts, art installations, and market stalls spread across diverse areas, where one could easily spend an entire weekend exploring.

However, opting for wandering might mean missing out on exceptional, multi-genre music, encompassing rock, electronic, soul, reggae, jazz, and other styles.

This event is recognized for generating substantial donations for charities like Water Aid, Oxfam, and Greenpeace.

2. Glastonbury Tor

Revered since the Iron Age, Glastonbury Tor is a solitary sandstone hill that rises over the Somerset Levels.

Featuring steep slopes with unusual man-made terracing, the hill reaches a height of 158 meters, topped by the roofless St Michael’s Tower, the last remnant of a 14th-century church demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

During this event in 1593, Richard Whiting, the Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, was hanged, drawn, and quartered for treason due to his allegiance to Rome.

The Tor is said to have been the fabled site of Avalon from the Arthurian legends, and is believed to be the resting place of the Holy Grail.

In Pagan Celtic tradition, it is regarded as a gateway to the fairy realm of Annwn.

These terraces have intrigued scholars for centuries, as their purpose remains uncertain—whether for agriculture, defense, or as a sacred labyrinth for pilgrims.

3. Glastonbury Abbey

Now an intriguing ruin, the historical significance of Glastonbury Abbey during Medieval times cannot be overstated.

Until its violent dissolution, the abbey exerted considerable influence with extensive landholdings across Somerset, its legacy still palpable today.

Notably, it contributed to the drainage of low-lying areas within the Somerset Levels while its monks propagated the notion that Glastonbury was Avalon, believed to be the burial site of King Arthur (the purported location of his tomb can still be observed). Founded in the 600s, the site expanded steadily over the next five centuries, with its grand church reconstructed in the Early English architectural style following a fire in the 12th century.

The imposing remains of the transept emphasize the grandeur this structure once possessed.

Even in its current state of decay, the Lady Chapel is recognized as one of the UK’s prominent Early English landmarks, distinguished by its ornate chevrons and floral-patterned capitals.

4. Abbot’s Kitchen

The largest monastic structure still standing at Glastonbury Abbey, the Abbot’s Kitchen is an astonishing remnant of Medieval history, dating back to the 1300s.

This is among the few surviving Medieval kitchens worldwide, featuring an octagonal layout and a pyramidal roof established during the tenure of Abbot John de Breynton (1334-1342). It not only showcases the opulence enjoyed by the Abbots but also presents fascinating technical aspects.

Designed akin to a massive chimney, the kitchen integrates smoke from four large fireplaces that ascends to an opening in the roof, while cool, clean air enters through other vents, descending to the kitchen floor.

Its preservation can be attributed to its use as a meeting house for Glastonbury’s Quakers shortly after the Abbey’s dissolution.

5. Somerset Rural Life Museum

Situated within an idyllic setting around a 14th-century barn, this museum chronicles the everyday lives of Glastonbury’s inhabitants and has recently reopened following a £2.4m renovation.

This Grade I listed barn, previously a “tithe barn” belonging to the abbey, was used for the storage of wheat and rye.

In the adjoining farmhouse, galleries focus on various themes including crafts, education, folk festivals, and customs of remembrance for the deceased.

The courtyard and barn display a range of vintage agricultural equipment utilized for farming, fishing, peat extraction, willow coppicing, and the production of cider, milk, and cheese.

Additionally, there are informative boards detailing the farm’s historical structures, along with a cider apple orchard, a beehive, and rare breeds of poultry and sheep.

6. Chalice Well

Emerging from the ground at the base of Glastonbury Tor, Chalice Well is also referred to as the Red Spring due to the reddish tint caused by iron oxide deposits.

This natural water source has been a site of pilgrimage for over 2,000 years and is believed to possess healing properties.

It is accessible within approximately ten minutes from the Glastonbury center.

The well itself features a wood and wrought-iron cover, crafted in 1919, from which the water flows down a terraced structure into two circular pools, all set within beautifully manicured gardens.

A stone channel meanders through the lawn from these pools.

Visitors are invited to relax on a bench and meditate amidst the red waters, blooming flowers, and neatly manicured shrubs.

For those who wish to visit outside of opening hours, a tap connected to the well is available outside.

7. White Spring

Located across Well House Lane from Chalice Well is another natural spring that rises from the depths of the Tor.

Unlike Chalice Well’s red waters, the White Spring exhibits a white hue due to its calcite content.

The White Spring is contained within a “water temple,” a vaulted Victorian well house constructed to ensure a constant flow following a cholera outbreak.

The well house is tended by a group of new age volunteers who believe in the spring’s healing attributes.

As with Chalice Well, there is a tap available outside; however, visitors may want to enter the candlelit sanctuary to admire the new age imagery.

8. Glastonbury Tribunal

Maintained by English Heritage, the Glastonbury Tribunal is a 15th-century merchant’s residence featuring a slightly later Tudor facade.

Inside, the ground floor serves as a tourist information center, while the upstairs hosts the Glastonbury Lake Museum operated by the local antiquarian society.

The building showcases numerous intriguing period details, including a Tudor Rose and the coat of arms of Abbot Richard Beere (1493-1524) above the entrance.

It has been proposed that this structure served as the abbey’s court.

The rear ground floor room features ceiling panels, plasterwork, and a window dating back to the Elizabethan era.

Underneath the arched and braced wooden trusses in the upstairs museum, visitors can examine artifacts from a nearby Iron Age village.

Be sure to view the bronze Glastonbury Bowl, originally cast in the Iron Age, which was later reworked with a new base in the 1st century.

9. George Hotel and Pilgrims’ Inn

This charming Gothic establishment, the George Hotel and Pilgrims’ Inn, is regarded as the oldest purpose-built tavern in the South West of England.

The George Hotel and Pilgrims’ Inn originated around 1439 and was established to accommodate pilgrims visiting Glastonbury Abbey.

As you stroll along the High Street, take a moment to admire the facade, adorned with three stories of narrow, traceried windows and capped with battlements.

Above the entrance, the coats of arms of both the abbey and King Edward IV (1442-1483) are visible. Step inside for a drink at the bar or enjoy a meal under the storied wooden beams warmed by a Tudor fireplace.

10. St. Margaret’s Chapel and Almshouses

Situated on Magdalene Street, this Scheduled Ancient Monument is somewhat set back from the road, making it easy to overlook.

Previously part of a hospital, this chapel, dating from the early 14th century, is located within a complex of buildings that were constructed around a century later.

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the hospital was transformed into almshouses.

The single-room chapel underwent a complete restoration in 2012 and is open daily for visitors.

Outside, a delightful garden, bordered by tall walls, bursts into color during spring and summer months.

Visitors can enter one of the almshouse residences, modestly decorated as it might have appeared in the 19th century.

11. The Shoe Museum, Street

The footwear brand Clarks was established nearby in the town of Street during the 19th century.

The Clark family, practicing Quakers, had a presence in the town since the 17th century.

In keeping with their Quaker values, when the factory was modernized in the 1860s, the Clarks ensured that the broader community benefited from their successful enterprise.

This philanthropic approach led to the development of a school, library, theater, and even an outdoor swimming pool.

Although production has relocated overseas, Clarks remains headquartered in Street.

Adjacent to the headquarters is the Shoe Museum, which opened in 1950, chronicling the 200-year history of the company and featuring some 1,500 shoes.

Visitors will discover how shoemaking machinery has advanced, observe historic posters and advertisements, and learn about the evolution of footwear, starting from Roman times.

12. Ham Wall Nature Reserve

Located in the damp, low-lying Somerset Levels to the west of Glastonbury, Ham Wall is a wetland reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The ponds and reedbeds originally served as peat extraction sites that were repurposed into a nature reserve in the 1990s.

The reserve teems with wildlife, with bitterns and egrets among the notable breeding birds.

Year-round residents include bearded tits, and hobbys are spotted during summer, while large flocks of starlings gather in the reedbeds during winter.

Visitors can also observe non-avian species such as otters and vocal Iberian water frogs, all while enjoying a picturesque view of Glastonbury Tor across the wetlands.

13. Clarks Village, Street

In 1993, the former Clarks factory buildings were transformed to house the first purpose-built factory outlet in the UK. With its paved paths, glass canopies, landscaped gardens, and vibrant flowerbeds, Clarks Village presents a unique shopping experience that departs from traditional malls.

Additionally, over 90 brands can be found here, including Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Timberland, and The North Face, complemented by a large Clarks factory store offering discounts of up to 60% off retail prices.

Offering clothing, beauty products, accessories, sportswear, homewares, and more, it is accompanied by selections of UK high street dining options such as Prezzo and Pret a Manger.

14. Greenbank Pool

This pool, another initiative of Clarks, opened in Street in 1937 to provide a swimming facility for its employees.

Prior to this, many locals would bathe in the River Brue, which posed discomfort for women when men swam without clothing.

Over 80 years later, the pool remains a source of community pride, featuring an elegant Art Deco entrance.

For families seeking summer activities, a shallow area is available for children, along with a small splash park equipped with slides and fountains.

The Greenbank Pool is heated and operates daily throughout the year, with an additional half-hour evening session exclusively for adult swimmers seeking tranquility.

15. West Country Carnivals

Long after Glastonbury’s more renowned festival concludes, an older and perhaps more traditional celebration arrives in town.

In the weeks following Guy Fawkes Night (5 November), a traveling parade of brightly illuminated themed floats visits towns throughout the West Country.

This custom dates back to 1605, originating in Bridgwater, linked to a local Catholic priest involved in the Gunpowder plot.

Glastonbury (19 November) stands as a picturesque location to witness this event, in which privately funded floats can be inspired by films, historical events, children’s tales, contemporary music, or global locations.

Upbeat music and a troupe of vibrantly dressed dancers accompany the spectacle.