Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset perhaps most famous for the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. However, as great as this festival is there are far more things to do and see in this beautiful little town that may be more appealing to the wider audience. Read on to find out what I think the top 10 things to do in Glastonbury are.
Glastonbury Festival
The festival is world famous so it must be top of the list. It has been running since 1970 and has featured acts like Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, Oasis, Bob Dylan and Lady Gaga. In the summer months Glastonbury becomes engulfed by people from all around the world and with the large number of diverse festival goers and performers it’s definitely a place to visit for young and old.
Abbey Tea Rooms
This quaint little café is a great place to pick up your afternoon tea and a snack after visiting all the sights in Glastonbury. The town is the ideal base for exploring the surrounding area. Despite the size of the town there’s a wide choice of accommodation; both bed and breakfasts and an hotels – including a new Premier Inn .
Rural Life Museum
This attraction is a nice place to go with the family. It’s free and fascinating. Based in the magnificent 14th century Abbey Farmhouse the experience describes in detail the social and domestic life of Victorian Somerset. The museum displays reconstructed rooms with a lively programme of events and exhibitions.
Cheddar Gorge
Located in the stunning Mendip Hills near the village of Cheddar is a limestone gorge where Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton was discovered; affectionately named – Cheddar Man. The gorge itself has many caverns and caves to explore with splendid stalactites and stalagmites so don’t forget your camera!
Hit the pub
Glastonbury has a lot of very aged buildings and that doesn’t only mean the churches. In the heart of cider country there are many old watering holes, The George and Pilgrim is a nice spot for well-deserved and must have local pint. I haven’t visited many pubs with stained glass windows so I felt this has to be on the list. On a side note – this is long rumoured to be one of Glastonbury’s most haunted locations.
The Glastonbury Tor
This hill features the roofless St Michaels Tower. This site is run by National Trust and has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The Tor has been associated with the name Avalon, and identified with King Arthur. Remains have been found dated back to the 5th century.
Chalice Well
The Chalice Well, one of Britain’s oldest holy wells is situated at the foot of Glastonbury Tor which is great if you are tight on time and you can visit a few places without travelling too much. The natural spring and beautiful gardens are very picturesque – the well produces 25,000 gallons per day and has never failed to do so.
Glastonbury Abbey
The abbey used to be a monastery and now these ruins are open as a visitor attraction. Yet another Scheduled Ancient Monument in Glastonbury.
“Burns the Bread”
This fantastic bakery is famous in the locality. Visitors can’t fault the bakery as it produces delicious, mouth-watering delights. Out of all the products to choose from you might be surprised that I feel the bread is probably the best thing about the bakery but when you have tried it, you will see why.
Kilve Beach
This beach is a site of special scientific interest due to its fantastic rock formations and wide range of fossils. Take the family here to search through the hundreds of rock pools; you’ll be surprised at what you find.
With so much to do in Somerset it’s not hard to see why this is a popular holiday destination. The hard part is finding time to cram it all in.
