There are a few places that I make a pilgrimage to regularly, where I have a kinship and need to pay homage.  These places are all clustered around three key areas in the South West of England, the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, Purbeck Isle in Dorset and Glastonbury in Somerset.  However as I begun writing the article it became apparent that to include all the places in those areas would make the article be far too long.  So I decided to make this a three part article, today I’m writing about an area that I find most spiritual  - Glastonbury.

Glastonbury

I have always loved the air of magic and mystery that surrounds Glastonbury and not because of the music festival, in fact I’ve never attended the festival and have no plans to do so.  It’s the mystical feel to the very land and buildings of the area and in particular Glastonbury Abbey, The Chalice Gardens and Glastonbury Tor.

Glastonbury Abbey

Glastonbury Abbey Sketch - Copyright R.Weal 1998

Set within 36 acres of parkland, the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey are a beautiful and tranquil setting and a wonderful place to spend some time sitting and contemplating the world and your place within it.  For these reasons and the many myths and legends that have sprung up around it have contributed to the abbey becoming a revered place of pilgrimage over the centuries of it’s existence.

I first visited the abbey  on a stunning summer’s day back in August 1998 where I spent many hours walking the grounds, absorbing the tranquility and peace of the place, taking my time to sketch and photograph the ruins.  I left that day feeling centred and grounded, peaceful and reinvigorated, ready to face the grind of daily life, which was a rare and great gift indeed.

The abbey’s history as a sacred site goes back a long way, starting with the pre-Christian Britons.  According to Medieval Christian myth the site was later visited by Joseph of Arimathea who founded the abbey back in the first century around 63 AD.  The first stone abbey was said to have been erected by King Ine of Wessex back in 712 and the abbey was built up and extended over successive centuries.

Glastonbury Abbey Ruins - Copyright R.Weal 1998

The Normans made extensive additions to the buildings until a great fire consumed much of the structures and treasures in 1184.  It took 30 years to rebuild, but the popularity of Glastonbury continued apace until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1539.  In the same year Glastonbury Abbey was ransacked of all valuables, which were sold off for the King’s treasury and the Abbot Richard Whiting hung from Glastonbury Tor.  The Abbey then fell into ruin until it was purchased in 1908 by the Bath and Wells Diocesan Trust to preserve it for a new generation of pilgrims.

Glastonbury Abbey Detail - Copyright R.Weal 1998

There’s also got the legend of King Arthur which has become intrinsically linked with Glastonbury and the abbey.  Many believe that Glastonbury is the site of the mystical Isle of Avalon where Excalibur, King Arthur’s mighty sword was forged and Arthur’s final resting place where he went after being mortally injured and from which he will emerge when the land needs him most. Within the Abbey grounds are a pair of graves which are reputed to be those of King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere.

Ruins of Glastonbury Abbey - Copyright R.Weal 1998

The story goes that in order to raise funds to rebuild the abbey after the 1184 fire, pilgrims went in search of the graves of Arthur and Guinevere in 1191 and the bones of two bodies were unearthed from deep graves on the south side of the Lady Chapel.  The bones were finally re interred in their current home many years later in 1278.

Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs you can definitely feel the sense of awe and power that the grounds have inspired in countless generations of pilgrims and worshippers.  The abbey ruins themselves have a majestic presence, they’ve stood against the test of a King’s wrath and the ravages of time.

If you get the chance to visit the Abbey I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Glastonbury Chalice Well Gardens

The Chalice Well - Copyright R.Weal 2007

On the outskirts of Glastonbury, on the main route into town is one of the most beautiful, enchanted and sacred places on the planet.  Archaeologists believe that the well has been in use for over 2000 years.  Since 1959 the Well has been under the stewardship of the Chalice Well Trust that was set up by Wellesley Tudor Pole.  The gardens are well maintained and there is a small, but interesting gift shop and regular events for those of a spiritual nature.

The Chalice well is a natural spring which has been regarded as holy site of pilgrimage due to the water’s purported healing qualities.  People of diverse faiths, spirituality and backgrounds still travel from all over the world to partake of the waters and pay homage to the sacred site today.    Pilgrims are able to bathe in the waters in the healing pool and to drink and fill bottles with the spring water at the Lion’s Head Fountain.

The Vesica Pools - Copyright R.Weal 2007

Many myths and legends surround the well, such as the Christian myth that the well marks the site where Joseph of Arimathea placed the chalice that caught the drops of blood from Christ at the crucifixion, which has led to numerous stories of the well and the Holy Grail.  It is also associated with the feminine aspect of the deity, with the Tor representing the masculine and is a place of pilgrimage for those people who come in search of the divine feminine.  Regular celebratory events marking the Christian and Pagan calendars are held within the grounds, details of which can be found on the Chalice Well website.

The Lion's Head fountain - Copyright R.Weal 2007

The water travels down through the Chalice hill and has never failed even during times of drought.  The water has a red hue which is due to the iron oxide deposits in the water, which stains the stonework of the pools and fountain and give the water its distinctive taste.  Some Christians have suggested that the red is a representation of the rusty iron nails used in the crucifixion.

The well, spring Healing pool, Vesica pool and Lion head fountain are set amongst colourful, beautiful and fragrant gardens and orchards that make for a peaceful and serene walk, with ample opportunities to take photographs and numerous private nooks where you can stop to contemplate the world, sketch or write.

I spent a wonderful afternoon in the Chalice Well Gardens with my Dad there back in the summer of 2007.  It wasn’t a planned trip and we ended up going to the Tor and then on to the Chalice Well Gardens, followed by a perusal through the lovely shops in Glastonbury town centre.  It was about this time that I started getting serious about photography and you can see the pictures I took of the Chalice Well Gardens on my flickr set Glastonbury Sacred Chalice Springs.

Glastonbury Tor

Dad & The Tor - Copyright R.Weal 2007

Up on the summit of Glastonbury Tor you can see out for miles over the Somerset levels.  It’s a truly magnificent view and well worth the trek up to see it.  The Tor itself is striking, rising up out of the plain known as the Summerland meadows and being the only high point within the levels that surround it.  Back when the levels were fenland (wetlands), the Tor would have risen up as a lone island.

On the summit you’ll find the imposing St Michael’s Mount, a 15th Century Tower, which is all that is left of the church that once graced it.  It also has the unsavoury reputation of being the place where the Abbot of Glastonbury and two of his monks was hanged in 1539 during the dissolution of the monasteries.

As with Glastonbury Abbey, the Tor has been a sacred place for a very long time and there is archaeological evidence that it was populated as far back as neolithic times and has been inhabited throughout the centuries since.

The Tor is now under the stewardship of the National Trust and is open every day of the year and free to visit.  It’s not the easiest place to get to by car, but there are regular coach tours run from Glastonbury town centre.

Daughter in the sky - Copyright R.Weal 2007

As you look at it from a distance and whilst walking up to the summit you will notice that there are seven deep terraces cut into the Tor.  These are one of the most enduring mysteries associated with the landmark, with a number of theories having been proposed, but nothing proven.

Just like the Chalice Well, there are many myths and legends associated with the Tor, not least of which is the legends around King Arthur and Avalon.  Legend has it that the Tor is the Isle of Avalon, or the doorway to Avalon and the world of fairies.  In more modern times a myth has arisen around the idea of a grand Glastonbury Zodiac, which is an astrological zodiac said to be carved into the ancient hedgerows and track ways.

St Michael's Mount Archway - Copyright R.Weal 2007

Standing up on the Tor it’s hard not to feel the presence of the place.  The wind whistles around you, clearing your thoughts and imbuing you with a sense of power, coupled with the seemingly unending 360 degree views that give you a sense of omnipotence.  It’s easy to see how the Tor has come to represent the masculine elements of the deity.

I visited the Tor one summer’s day with my Dad back in 2007.  It was a totally unplanned trip, which also included a visit to the Chalice Well Gardens and shopping in the quirky Glastonbury Town Centre.  I remember how thunderous clouds threatened to rain down upon us all day, but never touched us.

I left feeling energised and reinvigorated after my trip up to the Tor, not to mentioned inspired.  I found myself fired up with a burning creative energy which I channelled into my burgeoning hobby of photo editing/manipulation of the photographs I took that day, which you can find in my Up on the Tor flickr set.

That concludes my places of pilgrimage in Glastonbury and indeed my places of pilgrimage in the UK.  I hope you’ve enjoyed your trip through my memories of these sacred spaces and beloved places that I make pilgrimage to.  If I’ve inspired you to visit just one of the places I’ve written about then I count myself very lucky.

Happy trails pilgrims

Wealie x

Salisbury Plain
The Isle of Purbeck

There are a few places that I make a pilgrimage to regularly, where I have a kinship and need to pay homage.  These places are all clustered around three key areas in the South West of England, the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, Purbeck Isle in Dorset and Glastonbury in Somerset.  However as I was writing the article to include all the places in those areas it turned out to be far too long, so I decided to make this a three part article.  Today’s article is part one of three and starts with the area closest to home – the Salisbury Plain.

Salisbury Plain

Avebury Stone Avenue - Copyright R.Weal 2010

In, on and around the Salisbury Plain there are a lot of wonderful ancient monuments and sites of historic significance and beautiful landscapes, gardens and breathtaking views.  I love these places and always have done since I was a young child.  Brought up in a family where an appreciation for the richness of history and culture was consistently reinforced and encouraged meant that I was exposed to historic places like Avebury, Silbury Hill, Stonehenge and Kennet Long Barrow on a regular basis.  An appreciation for the beauty and awe inspiring power of nature was bred by numerous visits to places like Stourhead, run by the National Trust and Heaven’s Gate and Shearwater Lake, which are both on the Longleat Estate.

Something about the feats that the builders of the monuments at Avebury, Silbury Hill, Stonehenge and Kennet Long Barrow achieved lent an air of stupefied solemnity to me even as a young child.  I never pass them without a feeling of reverence and pride that I have lived most of my life amongst them and that others travel hundreds of miles for just a glimpse of them and yet right now I drive past them all every day on my way to and from work.

Sunset Stone at Avebury - Copyright R.Weal 2010

Of them all Avebury is the closest to my heart, a place to go and contemplate, the nearest place I have to a church, where I can commune with nature and the power of the Earth itself.  A place where you might find me on the night of a full moon making offerings to concepts bigger than myself.  During the day it is a place I love to have my camera at hand, to capture the desolate beauty of the surrounding countryside, offset against the magnificence of the Avenue and Rings of Stones.  A truly magical and mysterious place that everyone should visit at least once in their life.

When it comes to sheer appreciation of beautiful views I cannot choose between Heaven’s Gate, Shearwater Lake and Stourhead.  All three have very different aspects that I enjoy.

Heaven's Gate Ring - Copyright R.Weal 2007

With Heaven’s Gate most people visit to see the magnificent view down onto the Longleat Estate, but most quickly come to realise that there is so much more to this area, which becomes a riot of colour with the rhododendrons in the spring, the effervescent green of the summer and the autumnal perfection with the turning of the leaves come early October and even in winter the views are quite stunning!  Added to this is the the addition of the Stone Ring and horse shoe of standing stones which were erected as part of the Millennium celebrations.  It’s a beautiful spot for contemplation, photography and an appreciation of the beauty of the British countryside.

As a child we would visit Heaven’s Gate every year for the spring Rhododendrons and the autumnal procession.  I remember thinking it must be some sort of magical place where fairies and angels lived to be called Heaven’s Gate.  In my youth I never quite understood that it was the beauty of the place and it’s views that had lent it such an auspicious name.

Shearwater is a beautiful man made fresh water lake that sits on the outskirts of the Longleat Estate. It’s popular for fishing, sailing, walking, cycling and of course photography.  Shearwater is situated nicely between Longleat and Warminster in a picturesque area of Wiltshire on the cusp of the Deverills at Crockerton.

Last Peek (Shearwater Lake) - Copyright R.Weal 2010

The lake is surrounded by many beautiful specimens of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs/bushes such as Rhododendrons.  There’s lots of wildlife on and in the lake, from the fresh water fish – carp, bream, roach, perch, tench and rudd to the many water fowl – Canada geese, ducks and sea gulls.  In the woods the sharp eyed will see numerous grey squirrels and if you’re lucky you might even spot a deer or two peeking out from the dense foliage of ferns.

As a child I used to love running free through the small forest that skirts the lake, walking with my family as my Dad explained things about nature that I found absolutely fascinating and he would make me walking sticks, tickle my back with assorted pieces of foliage and engender a great love and affinity for the woodland around me.  When I visit there these days I am often with camera in hand, but the child within me still has the urge to run wild through the forests and I am transported back to simpler times.

Palladian Bridge and Pantheon view through the trees at Stourhead - Copyright R.Weal 2006

Stourhead was always a full day out.  A beautiful house and managed gardens (I didn’t really appreciate the house as a child).  My sisters and I used to love running through this beautiful garden estate which has various exotic and local varieties of trees some of which date back to the mid 1700s and were planted right at the garden’s inception by Henry Hoare II.  It was Henry who had the gardens designed and created between 1741 and 1780 in a classical 18th Century design, with a central lake as a focal point.  The inspiration for the gardens came from painters such as Claude Lorrain, Poussin and most notably Gaspar Dughet, who painted Utopian style views of Italian landscapes.

The gardens must have been a great labour of love for him and it shows through the attention to detail and the feeling you get of effortlessly walking from one world to the next, so masterfully planned and deliciously executed. Trees and shrubs were brought in from all over the world and successive generations of Hoares added to and enhanced the gardens until it was passed on to the National Trust in 1946 who have continued to care for the house and develop the gardens.

Palladian Bridge in twilight (Stourhead) - Copyright R.Weal 2006

On the surface it would seem that Stourhead bears much in common with Shearwater Lake, a lake at the heart, surrounded by woodland, but Stourhead is a much more controlled and deliberate environment than Shearwater.  This both adds to and detracts from it – the sense of raw, untameable beauty I experienced in the Shearwater Lake forest is missing, but the beautifully crafted temples, bridges and grotto that are dotted throughout the gardens enhance the sense of otherworldliness and a magical timelessness.  The exotic trees and shrubs bring to life vistas many would never have seen without the efforts of the Hoare family.

As a child Stourhead was a place of exploration and adventure, a place to let lose knowing that your parents were just a little way back along the path.  A place to picnic and eat ice-cream in the Spread Eagle Inn just outside the gardens.  I always seem to “glow” when I visit Stourhead, as an adult there are just too many images to capture and like Shearwater Lake and Heaven’s gate spring brings a riot of colour through the Rhododendrons and Autumn is a spectacle of red and gold.

I feel peaceful and right when I’m at Stourhead and that’s a feeling that everyone should be able to experience and cherish.

Well that’s it for this instalment, I hope you enjoyed my memories of the places I love on the Salisbury plain and perhaps I’ve whetted your appetite for a visit.  Don’t forget to watch out for part two of my places of pilgrimage – The Purbeck Isle, where I’ll explore some of my most treasured holiday memories.

Sleep tight pilgrims, see you on the next wagon train.

Wealie
x

The Isle of Purbeck
Glastonbury