Glastonbury Abbey, a Place of Legend

A place of worship has stood here since the 7th Century when the Saxons built a stone church. Their structure was forms the west end of the knave of the current ruin.  The stories however put Christians in this spot much earlier and connects this sight to Joseph of Arimathea and even as the final resting place of King Arthur and Guinevere.  After the stories we know that the Saxons used this church until the Norman conquest in 1066.  After the conquest, the Abbey actually flourished and in 1086 it was the richest monastery in the country.

Looking through the sections of the ruined Abbey.

Improvements continued to be made with the Normans adding buildings around the Abbey.  In 1184 however the Abbey was burned in a fire. So the ruin currently on the spot today are from the rebuilt Abbey.  The complex is lovely with well-kept grounds and 36 acres, most of which is parkland, to enjoy.  The kids enjoyed climbing on some of the ruins and running through the grounds.

In 1191 the monks reportedly dug about 18 feet into the ground in the old cemetery to find an oak casket holding two skeletons.  These were determined to be King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.  in 1278, these skeletons were reburied in a great black marble tomb in the church and witnessed by King Edward I.  These actions, probably a bit of propaganda for support and add legitimacy and propriety to the kingship, have fueled the fire of myth surrounding these ruins.

Tomb of King Arthur and Guinevere.

The Abbey fell into ruin when King Henry VIII dissolved the Catholic church and seized many of the riches of the monasteries and church for the Crown.  For roughly 500 years the building were abandoned and disused.

The architecture was nice to look at.  There is a sense of awe here as the stones, weathered and crumbling rise from the manicured lawn.  The stories are fun and interesting to listen to.  It didn't hurt that our guide was funny too.  We enjoyed our lunch by the duck pond and even shared a bit of bread with our feathered friends.

The kids quickly made friends and named all of them.

Afterwards, we stopped by the town playground for an hour or so.  The kids love to play outside.  They also love seeing mom push the merry-go-round and go up and down on the teeter-totter.