This is part of Glastonury Abbey, a beautiful ruin.
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The Lady's chapel is in ruins, but you can see how pretty it must have been when it was in use.
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This chapel is off to one side of the main ruins. It has a really neat look to it.
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I love the look of old ruins. I can understand why the Victorians built follies. They make such great photo props.
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Within the old abbey stands this little plot of land. According to the monks in the 12th century, a dream led one of them to dig up a spot on the grounds, discovering a stone coffin, on which sat a lead cross. The cross supossedly said that the body was that of King Arthur, and the bones within were described as being that of a very tall male, with a woman's body alongside him. The cross and the remains were lost in the intervening millenia.
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This view of the Tor is kind of odd, as it makes the old church remains look like its not on the peak, when it actually is. Still, it gives an idea of how the Tor stands above the town.
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The walk up the Tor is a long one, even with the steps that have been cut in and cemented. I like this, as it makes the climb seem more like a pilgrimage. The power of those within the Hill is very obvious as you climb.
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The ruins atop the Tor are from a church built there in the Middle Ages. Apparently it was pretty huge when it was standing. Standing up here in the nearly gale force winds, I could feel the layers of belief and power which people have built here over the last several thousand years.
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This view from atop the Tor is beautiful. You are looking at part of Glastonbury below. The hill on the left is called Chalice Hill, on the other side of which is the Chalice Well.
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The Chalice Well - notice the offerings tied into the tree behind it. The Well is a deep spring, one which comes up from someplace so deep that no one actually knows the source.
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This is the Lion's Head, the first outlet from the Chalice Well. This is a place where people come to sample the water.
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The water coming out of the well is highly enriched with iron, so it leaves a red stain on the Lion fountain. The Well has been called a Red well or Blood well, because of the stains left by the water. It tastes really good.
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As the Well water flows down this man-made waterfall, it flows into a pool in which people can stand and pour the water over themselves. In the 19th century this was a deeper pool, when such wells were a popular way to seek healing.
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This pool is built upon a double circle symbol which is also featured on the lid of the Chalice Well. The symbol used on the well is not an ancient one for this pace, it was introduced in the 19th century.
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