Glastonbury Tor
A lone hill in Somerset is linked to King Arthur's Avalon and to a hidden entrance to the fairy world.
What was reported
Glastonbury Tor is a steep, terraced hill rising from the Somerset Levels, crowned by the roofless tower of a medieval church of St Michael. In legend it's Avalon, where King Arthur was taken after his last battle, and in Welsh tradition the home of Gwyn ap Nudd, king of the fairies, with a secret way into the hill.
In 1191 monks at nearby Glastonbury Abbey announced they had found the grave of Arthur and Guinevere. The Tor also draws reports of strange lights and people interested in ley lines and earth energies.
Explanations offered
Historians consider the 'discovery' of Arthur's grave a likely publicity move by monks whose abbey had burned and needed funds. The terraces on the Tor may be medieval farming or an ancient maze; that's debated. It remains a place of pilgrimage and festivals.
- When
- Legends from the Middle Ages
- Where
- Glastonbury, Somerset, England
- Witnesses
- Pilgrims, monks and visitors
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.