The Chalice Well of Glastonbury, England

The Chalice Well of Glastonbury, England

Reading Kiersten White’s The Guinevere Deception has put legends – particularly that of King Arthur – at the front of the mind, bringing back memories of Glastonbury. The town of Glastonbury is one place with deep roots in the Arthurian legend. Some sources (okay yes, monks with a financial stake in the matter) say that the graves of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were here, at Glastonbury Abbey, before they were spirited off or destroyed (conveniently happening at a time when the abbey was in desperate need of fundraising). Some even try to associate this Somerset English town with the legendary Avalon. Whatever the truth, the Arthur legend is laden with Christian overtones, and Glastonbury’s King Arthur tendrils reach further than the Abbey and Glastonbury Tor. And then there’s the Chalice Well. Chalice, you say? Sounds Arthurian. Archeology says the Chalice Well has been in constant use for at least 2,000 years, possibly longer. Fed by a deep aquifer, the well, also known as the Red Spring, produces 110,000 litres of water tinted with a reddish hue per day (never failing, even in drought). Now surrounded by a well-manicured Sacred Garden, the Chalice Well lid has concentric designs bisected by a sword, likely Excalibur. Other myths say that this is where biblical Joseph of Arimathea hid the chalice containing Jesus’ blood – hence the water’s red colour. King Arthur of course is also linked to the Holy Grail, said to have searched for this holy relic with his famed knights. What myth came first? Is this place called the Chalice Well because King Arthur is supposedly buried nearby? Or was it this well’s holy connection that inspired the claim that Glastonbury is Arthur and Guinevere’s final resting place? Likely, we’ll never know. Regardless, this is a beautiful spot, and worth a visit on any tour (tor?) of Glastonbury.

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Pro tip: This place is magical in spring. Use the regional Georgian (and Roman!) town of Bath as your base to venture on day trips around Somerset. Combine your trip to Glastonbury with a stop at the magnificent Wells Cathedral, one of England‘s most famous churches. Learn more about visiting the Chalice Well and Sacred Garden. 

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More Burial Sites of Mythic Heroes

• Knocknarea Hill – Legendary tomb of Queen Maeve?
• Yorkshire – Home to Robin Hood’s Grave?
• The Giant’s Causeway – Built by warring giants? 
• The Gauja River Valley – Site of tragic lovers the Rose of Turaida & Victor?
• Lake Snagov – Tomb of a vampire – Dracula?
• Teruel, final resting place of Les Amantes de Teruel?

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*Please note that all photos posted since the start of the Pandemic travel restrictions are from the archives, or taken locally within a short distance of our home. 

Sham Castle in Bath, England

Sham Castle overlooking Bath, England

True to its name, Sham Castle is indeed a fake. It is what the English call a “folly” (yes, they have an official term for “fake castle” in Europe!). Follies are fake castles built relatively recently – usually 18th-19th century – to resemble a medieval castle. Folly castles were built simply because a rich gentleman and lady decided that they wanted an exciting, over-sized lawn ornament. In this case, the castle was designed and built by architect Richard James for an important local gentleman called Ralph Allen, overlooking the beautiful town of Bath. With a style clearly supposed to evoke reminisces of King Arthur‘s day, the castle was only built in 1762! In fact, Sham Castle is just a facade. No doors, no windows, no roof,  no walls other than the front one. The reason why Allen dispensed large amounts of cash for a false structure that is nothing more than a facade and hidden away in the forest up a steep hill? To improve the view and “prospect” of his posh townhouse in central Bath. Of course. He wasn’t even the only one. Follies such as Broadway Tower, Fronthill Abbey, Hagley Hill, Castle Hill in Filleigh, Gwrych Castle, and many others exist all over the UK and to a lesser extent, all over Europe. It seems that 18th and 19th Europeans were just as obsessed with castles then as we are today; the difference being that then, instead of voyaging to the real ones, they merely hired someone to build a fake one in their own backyards!

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Pro tip: You can run or hike up through the woods to Sham Castle on the Bath Skyline Walk (more info here) – do the whole looped walk (6 miles) or just an out and back up to the castle. Once at the castle, you’ll get some amazing views over bath! Back in Bath, there are many options for refreshments – there are a number of great pubs and cafes. Be sure to taste a pasty while here!

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Find Other Fake Castle Follies in Europe

1. Vajahunyad Castle in Budapest, Hungary
2. Kruzenstein Castle near Vienna, Austria
3. Albigny-sur-Soane near Lyon, France
4. Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Belgium
5. Chateau Montmelas in the Beaujolais, France
6. Castle Island on Lough Key, Ireland

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This is an update and rewrite of a post originally written in 2013. 

Glastonbury Abbey, England

Glastonbury Abbey, England

Welcome to the ruins of Glastonbury’s abbey, established 712 AD (and disestablished 1539), of Benedictine origin. As a visual monument, not much remains. However, it’s not what’s above-ground so much as what is – or isn’t – buried below its grassy flooring that makes it interesting. To start with, legend has it that Joesph of Arimathea founded it in the 1st century. Secondly – and more fantastically – legend claims that this is the legendary Avalon of your childhood stories, that this is the final resting place of everybody’s favourite storybook hero, King Arthur. Supposedly, Arthur and Guinevere were buried here long ago and later discovered by the abbey’s residents (conveniently, right about the time they were low on funds), attracting visitors from afar to view these famous graves – all the while supplying the monastery a steady income. Then, sometime in the 1500s, a fire ravaged the complex and the graves were lost or destroyed – rather conveniently, I might add. Real or not, the cunning monks had the last laugh – because people still come from afar to see Arthur and Guinevere’s graves – and ironically, even though the coffins are long gone and only a small sign remains, these visits are still providing the monastery with its steady income.

Glastonbury, England

Glastonbury Tor, England

This “tor” (“hill” in Celtic) rises in the middle of a plain which was once an island bog. Now, it houses St Micheal’s Tower, the site of which dates back to the Dark Ages. Home of the neighbouring Glastonbury Music Festival, Glastonbury also makes the history books as the possible burial site of the legendary King Arthur. Is this Avalon? The people of Glastonbury seem to think so! The story is that Arthur, mortally wounded, was brought to the Isle of Avalon to a monastery for medical care. Glastonbury was still an island at the time, and it has an Abbey, so the story fits. In 1191, the monks unearthed an oak coffin with Arthur’s name on it. The put it in a black marble coffin, which was put on display until the Abbey was vandalised in the 1500s and it vanished. Ooh conspiracies…