Mention Glastonbury and you might automatically think of the festival: of Radiohead or Beyoncé on the Pyramid Stage, the Stone Circle or that vast city of tents. As, for a few days in June, hundreds of thousands of music-lovers make a pilgrimage to Worthy Farm, seven miles east of the town, for arguably the world’s most famous music festival.
Yet this little market town (population 8,932) in the centre of the Somerset Levels is equally remarkable across the rest of the year, welcoming tourists, ramblers and spiritual pilgrims from every corner of the globe. Recognised as a centre of spirituality, religion and legend, people travel here to soak up the alternative atmosphere and enjoy the town’s iconic sights.
Tales of King Arthur, the Holy Grail, ley lines and the sword of Excalibur weave through the town’s intriguing past. The neighbouring wetlands and marshes are a unique and thriving habitat for some of the UK’s most cherished wildlife. The high street is a blend of creativity and culture with cafés, art galleries and a Michelin-starred restaurant lining up alongside crystal and spiritual healing shops and colourful street art. Both the town and the festival share a long-standing association with counterculture, and Glastonbury radiates with a captivating unconventionality. It’s truly a place like no other.
Now visitors can make their own pilgrimage through the sacred sights and beautiful Somerset scenery on a seven-mile figure-of-eight walking route, called The Glastonbury Way.
What is The Glastonbury Way?
This marked route, with pointers and information boards along the way, was designed to encompass the spirit of Glastonbury, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the history, culture, legend and landscape that make the town and its surrounding countryside so unique.
Whether you wish to fully submerge yourself in Glastonbury’s mystical magnetism or just enjoy experiencing a place like no other, it’s well worth extending your festival stay or making a dedicated trip to explore this remarkable little town.
Where does The Glastonbury Way route start?
The route begins on Magdalene Street, outside the Town Hall. It’s a busy area with many visitors perusing the shop windows, enjoying the cafés or resting in the sunshine on the benches lining the street. Next door is the Glastonbury Information Centre where you can pick up a map of the route. Alternatively, there’s a free interactive Glastonbury Way app, which is worth downloading to help with navigation and key information.
Here, you’ll also find the entrance to the Abbey ruins. There is an entrance fee and it’s not on the route but it’s worth popping in. The many ruined buildings, some dating as far back as 700 CE, are steeped in legend and mystery, and it’s said that King Arthur is buried here. In the 16th century, the Abbey became a casualty of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, was stripped and left to ruin.
Heading south-west through town, the route then climbs 65 metres to reach the top of Wearyall Hill. The Somerset Levels stretch infinitely to the south like a quilt of patchwork pasture. To the east, the iconic Tor, with St Michael’s Tower perched on the summit, rises dramatically from the flatlands below. There’s a peace and tranquillity to this landscape even when Worthy Farm opens its gates.
Wearyall Hill has its own significance in Glastonbury legend. According to the fable, Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus’ uncle, walked here and, feeling weary, planted his staff in the ground. The staff took root and immediately blossomed, growing into the famous Glastonbury Thorn.
Following The Glastonbury Way
Continuing west along the ridgeline, the views continue to impress. On a clear day, it’s possible to see all the way out to the Bristol Channel and beyond to Wales. In the near distance are the Avalon Marshes, a series of former peat-extraction sites, now wetland nature reserves. It’s a landscape of reedbeds, open waters and hidden fens criss-crossed with many ‘water hedges’ (watery ditches and rhynes). In winter, hundreds of thousands of murmurating starlings swoop and swirl above the reserves at dusk. In summer, birding enthusiasts flock to hear booming bitterns and spy the marsh harriers who have made this unique and special habitat their home. Though the Avalon Marshes are not included on the official Glastonbury Way route, the walk could easily be extended to include a diversion through the nature reserves.
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Descending Wearyall Hill, the path soon joins the banks of the River Brue. In spring and summer, this landscape is a celebration of vibrant meadow green and wildflower purples, yellows and pinks. Dragonflies perch on the reeds, butterflies flutter and the observant might catch a glimpse of the magical blue flash of a kingfisher.
Crossing the charmingly named Ackidock Bridge, the route follows the old Somerset and Dorset Railway line, now a pretty willow walk. Peeking through the greenery, you can spy the Mendip Hills, the northern border of the Somerset Levels in the distance and fields of dark, rich peat in the foreground. Throughout the 20th century, peat extraction was a major local industry but, as its detrimental impacts on the environment have become better understood, it’s been gradually phased out. Now, you’re more likely to see herons and great white egrets here than machinery. This part of the walk can be very muddy so walking boots are recommended.
With the Tor acting as a beacon, the route weaves back towards town. First held in 1970, Glastonbury Festival has a strong association with street art; many artists, such as Banksy, have made appearances to create poignant installations. Glastonbury itself has also welcomed visual artists from around the world and you’ll see large, colourful murals adorning the walls and alleyways, adding a vibrancy that juxtaposes harmoniously with the town’s historic churches and buildings. A dedicated mural trail showcases over 70 different artworks (trail leaflets are in the information centre).
Ambling up the High Street, the eclectic mix of shops reflects Glastonbury’s alternative culture. Incense wafts from open doorways and musicians play instruments on the streets. The festival spirit lives on here throughout the year.
It’s worth visiting the George and Pilgrim Hotel as you pass. Built in the late 15th century, it’s one of the oldest pubs in the area; the hotel has a reputation for being haunted. Pop in to admire the olde worlde interior and you might come across the ghost of a monk or a lady in white.
Standing tall in the high street skyline is the 41-metre-high tower of St John’s Church. The tower is unusual in that it has a chiming clock – a gift from Henry VIII on his visit here to dissolve the Abbey – but no clock face. Peer up to the top and you may spy a nesting box that’s often home to a family of peregrine falcons.
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Leaving the streets behind, the route heads east. This latter half of the walk is more challenging as you ascend Chalice Hill – reportedly the burial site of the long-lost Holy Grail – then the Tor. You’ll have some respite in between these hills however, to walk along Paradise Lane, a leafy pathway with beautiful views dedicated to keen local walker John Brunston MBE (1930–2021). A motivating force behind the creation of the route, Brunston rallied a team that managed to secure funding to create the waymarkings, information boards and its well-maintained paths.
The final stretch of this walk up to the summit of the Tor is perhaps the most iconic. Looking up from the foot of the northern pathway to the top, the Tor is an impressive sight. It is formed of clay and layers of limestone, and ridges loop their way up its slopes like a helter-skelter. The Tor is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the UK but, for many, it has a deeper significance. For centuries, Glastonbury and its Tor have been a place of pilgrimage for those who believe that the town has a unique and sacred position on the matrix of energy lines that criss-cross the Earth, known as ley lines.
The ley lines are a significant part of Glastonbury legend and believers visit in the hope of experiencing these elemental energies. You’ll likely meet walkers, tourists and pilgrims here, often pausing en route to the top for breath and to admire the incredible 360° panorama over the Somerset Levels and, to the east, across Worthy Farm. The sight of a sea of people and tents during the festival gives an eye-opening appreciation of its enormous scale.
How busy is The Glastonbury Way?
Ironically, the town tends to be quiet while the festival is on as many locals are at Worthy Farm. That said, when the festival coincides with the summer solstice, hundreds of revellers scale the Tor to join the celebrations welcoming the first sunrise of summer. It’s a lively and enriching place to be at any time, but especially on a festival solstice.
Descending back towards town and the end of the walk, there is the opportunity for one final, uniquely Glastonbury experience. At the base of the Tor, two natural springs rise from the ground; one is tinged red with iron, the other white with calcite. These waters are said to have deep healing powers and many pilgrims come to bathe here. The calcite well or ‘Temple at the White Spring’, 50 metres up Wellhouse Lane, was built after a cholera outbreak in 1870. Inside, the domed ceilings are lit by hundreds of candles and the atmosphere is calm and peaceful. There are a series of cold, spring-fed pools which the committed can plunge into. Don’t be surprised to hear the chanting of naked bathers here; it’s common for people to come for a full-body cleanse. If you don’t feel the urge to dive in, you can visit simply to enjoy the tranquillity.
Though spectacular performances at Glastonbury Festival may have stolen the headlines since 1970, there’s far more to experience in this corner of Somerset than just a few hedonistic days in June. Legend, myth and spirituality intertwine with nature, culture and art. The Glastonbury Way offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy it all. On a summer’s day, there are few more idyllic ways to pass the time than admiring incredible views from the hilltops, spying thriving wildlife populations on the banks of the River Brue and embracing the unique charisma that makes Glastonbury just that little bit magical.
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Top image: Glastonbury Tor. Credit: Lily Watts