cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Exquisite Early English Gothic cathedral with a magnificent sculpted west front displaying nearly 300 medieval figures.
9 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Glastonbury
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Glastonbury
Glastonbury works well as a base: 15 minutes from Wells, 10km from Wookey Hole Caves.
Glastonbury is in England, United Kingdom, with about 8,900 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Wells, about 8 km away.
Glastonbury ( GLAST-ən-bər-ee, UK also GLAHST-) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, 23 miles (37 km) south of Bristol. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 8,980 and the built-up area had a population of 8,300. The town is lessRead more
than 1 mile (2 km) across the River Brue from Street, a village which is now larger than Glastonbury.
Evidence from timber trackways such as the Sweet Track show that the town has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Glastonbury Lake Village was an Iron Age village, close to the old course of the River Brue and Sharpham Park approximately 2 miles (3 km) west of Glastonbury, that dates back to the Bronze Age. Centwine was the first Saxon patron of Glastonbury Abbey, which dominated the town for the next 700 years and was one of the most important abbeys in England. Many of the oldest surviving buildings in the town, including the Tribunal, George Hotel and Pilgrims' Inn and the Somerset Rural Life Museum, which is based at the site of a 14th-century abbey manor barn, often referred to as a tithe barn, are associated with the abbey. The Church of St John the Baptist dates from the 15th century.
The town became a centre for commerce, which led to the construction of the market cross, Glastonbury Canal and the Glastonbury and Street railway station, the largest station on the original Somerset and Dorset Railway. The Brue Valley Living Landscape is a conservation project managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust and nearby is the Ham Wall National Nature Reserve.
Glastonbury has been described as having a New Age community, and possibly being where New Age beliefs originated at the turn of the twentieth century. It is notable for myths and legends often related to Glastonbury Tor, concerning Joseph of Arimathea, the Holy Grail and King Arthur. Joseph is said to have arrived in Glastonbury and stuck his staff into the ground, when it flowered miraculously into the Glastonbury Thorn. The presence of a landscape zodiac around the town has been suggested but no evidence has been discovered. The Glastonbury Festival, held in the nearby village of Pilton, takes its name from the town.
Where to Stay in Glastonbury
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Glastonbury?
Within an hour or so of Glastonbury: Wells Cathedral (9 km), Wookey Hole Caves (10 km), Ebbor Gorge (10 km), Cheddar Gorge (16 km).
Are there any good drives near Glastonbury?
The nearest famous roads are Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135), A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) and Porlock Hill.
Where is Glastonbury?
Glastonbury is in England, United Kingdom, about 8 km from Wells.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 8,932
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.1474, -2.7207
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Glastonbury
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Wookey Hole Caves
A series of chambers carved by the River Axe through the Mendips, occupied in the Iron Age and famous for the Witch of Wookey.
10 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Ebbor Gorge
A quiet wooded limestone gorge and national nature reserve on the Mendip scarp above Wookey, with views across the Somerset Levels.
10 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Cheddar Gorge
Britain's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, ancient caves containing the oldest complete human skeleton found in Britain.
16 km · about 30 min drive
museum
Haynes International Motor Museum
The UK's largest collection of classic and vintage cars and motorcycles, with over 400 vehicles on display.
16 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cheddar Gorge Viewpoint
England's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
16 km · about 30 min drive
famous road
Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135)
The B3135 threads the floor of England's largest gorge beneath 137m limestone cliffs, tight and dramatic but often busy with visitors and goats.
16 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Cheddar Gorge and Gough's Cave
Britain's largest gorge, 137m deep, with show caves that yielded Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton.
16 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Glastonbury
- 16 kmCheddar Gorge ViewpointEngland's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
- 16 kmCheddar Gorge Road (B3135)The B3135 threads the floor of England's largest gorge beneath 137m limestone cliffs, tight and dramatic but often busy with visitors and goats.
- 35 kmClifton Suspension BridgeIsambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
- 47 kmGolden CapThe highest point on England's south coast at 191 m, its sandstone summit glowing gold above Charmouth and Lyme Bay.
- 60 kmDunkery BeaconThe highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset at 519 m, with views to the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor on clear days.
- 61 kmDevil's PulpitA narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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