For me stories grow out of places and I’m always delighted when that love of place comes through to readers. One of the nicest comments I receive is when someone tells me one of my books has made them want to visit Glastonbury, Orkney or Whitby. From Under the Duvet Book Blog reviewed Beltane this week and said that she’s added Glastonbury to her bucket list after reading it. I’ve not written any posts about the locations in Beltane so it’s time to put that right and I’m going to start with the Tor.
I’ve been up the Tor many times and, whichever way you approach it, it’s a stiff climb. There’s a good number of handily placed seats on the path which climbs up from the White Spring and excellent excuses for stopping and looking at the spectacular views across the town and over the Somerset Levels. One of my favourite walks in Glastonbury is over Chalice Hill and then round the back (as I think of it) of the Tor and up the steps. These are steeper than the path but there’s something to be said for getting the climb over more quickly.
The residents of Glastonbury say that the Tor has its own weather system. It definitely always seems to be windy on the summit even when there’s not even the faintest breeze at the bottom. No two visits to the Tor are the same and that’s one of the things which keeps me going back. I’ve been up on autumn afternoons as the light faded and on a summer’s day during the Festival when I could see the massive encampment of tents stretching away to the west.
The Tor is a place of pilgrimage to many and I’ve met people chanting as they sat in the tower or meditating on the grass. It’s traditional to climb the Tor to welcome the sunrise on a number of important dates including the summer solstice. I’ve yet to do that but one day I hope to be there to experience it.
The tower is a remnant of the mediaeval church of St Michael which stood on the summit of the Tor until 1539 when it was demolished as part of the dissolution of the monasteries. There’s a slightly eerie feeling to the tower. It’s open to the sky and has an insidious smell of damp. I’m never particularly keen to linger inside.
“Being this close to the Tor, the myths of fairies, dragons and druids that seemed absurd in London suddenly weren’t so unbelievable.” Beltane
There’s masses of folklore and myth associated with the Tor. It was believed that it was a gateway to Annwn, the realm of fairy which was ruled over by Gwyn Ap Nudd, king of the fairies. Gwyn Ap Nudd rode out with the Wild Hunt each Samhain (Halloween) which was a portent of death and bad luck to all who saw it. There’s a persistent myth of the Tor being hollow and investigations have discovered a network of caves inside. What’s believed to be inside varies with the tales including dragons and a fairy court. There’s also said to be a labyrinth carved into the sides of the Tor which spirals around seven times before arriving at the summit.
There’s many beliefs associated with the Tor which relate to earth energy and ley lines. The St Michael ley line goes through the Tor and many believe that its particularly powerful and concentrated in Glastonbury. In Beltane, Finn as a druid is attuned to these energies (known as awen).
“he located awen deep within the hill, curled in on itself, like a snail in the protection of its shell.” Beltane
I’d been to the Tor many times before I discovered the Avalon Orchard which is tucked away at the base of the slope. It’s a bit of a hidden secret but is definitely worth a visit. It’s a beautiful, peaceful spot, full of ancient apple trees. Legend has it that the Isle of Avalon (translated as the Isle of Apples) is where Excalibur was forged and where King Arthur was taken as he was dying. There’s also a story about Arthur rescuing Guinevere from captivating on the Tor. The orchard is also an excellent spot to sit and reflect after a walk up the Tor. I don’t know if it’s down to the energy or the views or something I can’t name but the Tor has a habit of bringing me face to face with things I’ve been avoiding. A little time to sit and reflect afterwards is usually needed and the Avalon Orchard is an excellent place for that.
If you’ve been to Glastonbury Tor I’d love to hear your stories. What brought you there? What was the experience like? Does it draw you back?
Thanks for reading,
Alys x
If you’d like to read Beltane, the first of The Spellworker Chronicles, it’s available as ebook and paperback from Amazon.
Alys West 
My late wife and I walked the labyrinth to the top in the late 80s while on a research trip and the Tor has haunted me ever since showing up in dreams and visions. We stood in the tower one misty morning in November as skittering fog ghosts swam above our heads in and out of the upper windows. I tried filming it with the old analog video camera only to playback static. The only time this happened in 6 weeks of shooting. It ended up inspiring an entire album.
That sounds like an amazing experience John. Thanks so much for telling me about it. It’s a great example of the way the Tor has so many layers of meaning and stays with us after a visit.
Hello Alys,
I don’t know if you still read comments on here but I wanted to share an experience from my time living in Glastonbury. (I don’t often meet people whom I feel comfortable enough to share my stories with, so it’s always nice to meet like-minds!)
I lived in Glastonbury for three years, just a little further along the road from the Chalice Well, and had several unusual or otherworldly experiences, which I realise all happened near the well and the White Spring. I strongly feel that the energy there is the most potent, as a result of the red and white springs, and the direction of the Michael leyline.
On the evening of Summer Solstice in 2019, a friend and I decided to head to the Tor. As we reached the gate which leads to the bottom field of the Tor (at the Wellhouse Lane entry point) we noticed the field was covered in a rolling, purple-ish mist, which I’d never seen that low down before. We didn’t much feel like braving heading to the very top of the Tor, as it was really busy, so we decided we’d find a quieter spot much further down, just a short distance beyond the second kissing gate and to the left of the path. In the hours that followed, we watched people making their way up and down the Tor. In the bottom field below us, I caught a glimpse of what looked like fireflies or candlelight but didn’t think too much of it. At around 1 am, it became much quieter and the temperature had dropped significantly – almost like a shift in the energy – so we decided to head home. As we made our way to the kissing gate leading back into the bottom field, my friend and I both became gripped with unease, both with goosebumps. I asked him to walk slightly ahead of me, and as he opened the gate, he froze and said “what is that?” Ahead of us, to the right of the path, and silhouetted against the mist which was still there, was a figure I would guess as being 8ft tall. His face was undistinguishable and darkened, with long black hair almost suspended in the air. He was holding a staff and appeared to be floating just above the ground. It didn’t seem like he was aware of us, as if he was in his own dimension, transfixed with his own path ahead, but it was a bone-chilling moment, where we both knew that what we were seeing was beyond comprehension. We had two options at this point; run past him and get home more quickly, or trek up the tor and take the other path home. We decided to make a run for it. I looked back at the figure momentarily but was gripped by fear, my friend looked more intently. Once we had made it home (after much checking the doors were locked and much smudging!), we decided we would separately draw what we had seen and compare the images.
I hadn’t done any research into the fae at this stage and didn’t have much of an idea about the spiritual history of the Tor. The following day, I researched entities or spirits known to haunt the Tor and came across an article about Gwyn Ap Nudd. When I read the description of his appearance and came across artist depictions of him, I froze. I have no doubts that we caught a glimpse of him that night, and it’s something that has blown my mind and changed all I know to be true about that realm. Living in Glastonbury was a unique experience and truly allowed me to heal and face my shadow side in order to do so. In some way, I feel Gwyn Ap Nudd showing himself to us did that for me, and acted as a catalyst in some way. I feel truly honoured to have seen him and feel a new level of respect for nature and its spirits.
If you’d like to chat further, I’d be more than happy to share more!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m really honoured that you felt able to share it with me.
As I read your description of the figure you met I thought ‘That sounds like Gwyn Ap Nudd’. He’s such an important part of the folklore and mythology of Glastonbury Tor and is a very powerful figure in the stories surrounding the Tor. In all my research I’ve not heard of anyone seeing him as you did so I think he must have recognised something in you to want to cross to this realm. I’m not surprised it had a profound effect on you. Glastonbury is such a powerful and amazing place. It must have been incredible to live there for a while.
All the best
Alys xx
Thank you, Alys, I was glad to be able to share it 🙂
I’ve always wondered why he allowed us to see him, something I’ll probably never have a solid answer to but I think it is in part to do with feeling an inexplicably deep connection to the land there (which was why I moved there), overcoming fears and owning personal power, perhaps a past life Celtic connection..? I like the fact it’s all very much a mystery. I live in Scotland now but half my heart is very much still in Glastonbury, it never really leaves you! (I’m sure you know that feeling though!)
Lovely to have come across your blog, it’s all so interesting to me.
Take care,
Sarah xx