Overlooking the Isle of Avalon, Glastonbury and Somerset, this iconic hill has been a spiritual magnet for centuries.
Standing 521 feet above sea level, the famous Glastonbury Tor is capped by the massive tower, all that is left of the former St Michael’s church.
Built in the 14th century and restored in 1802, this is a three storeyed parapeted tower that formed the west end of the church. The tower has man features of architectural interest including representations of St Michael and St Bridget, and a carved figure of a priest. The tower is unroofed and empty, but recent excavations of the hill have laid bare traces of a former Norman Church, of a mediaeval priest’s house and a Saxon Church.
A round headed Saxon cross was found as evidence of a hill fort of Arthurian times. Scattered finds from the Tor suggest that man may have even been making use of the hill from remote prehistoric times.
There are very extensive views into Dorset to the South, to the Quantock Hills and Exmoor to the West, Brean Down at the Seaward end of the Mendips, the island of Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel and Alfred’s Tower on the borders of Wiltshire t the East, which are enhanced by the flatness of the surrounding Somerset levels.
Glastonbury Tor is one of the most famous landmarks in Somerset, if not the whole of the West Country. It's not just famous because it can be seen for miles and miles around, but also because it has huge spiritual significance for many people.
The conical shape of Glastonbury Tor is natural. Thousands of years ago it was an island. Before modern drainage, the Tor in winter would have towered above the flooded Somerset Levels.
The terracing on the hillside has been dated to Neolithic times, around the same time as when Stonehenge was constructed. It has been suggested that the terraces form a kind of maze that guided pilgrims up the sacred hill.
The hill has a long religious history with evidence of Pagan and early Christian settlement on it.
It's said that beneath the hill there is a hidden cave through which you can pass into the fairy realm of Annwn. There Gwyn ab Nudd, the lord of the Celtic underworld, with the Cauldron of Rebirth. Later tradition has it that the Holy Grail lies here, brought by Jesus' uncle, Joseph of Arimathea.
Cited: BBC Website and Glastonbury Information Centre.