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History

Building Upon a Legend

c. 700 - 1066
The Saxon Church

The earliest historical evidence of the monastery at Glastonbury comes from charters of the late 7th century which show grants of land made by three Saxon kings, matching the earliest archaeological evidence we have of a church here. However, by the time of Abbot Dunstan, the myth of a much earlier foundation had gained popularity – a belief that followers of Christ settled here within the 1st century CE and built ‘The Old Church’.
Three distinct phases of Saxon church have been recorded, the last being part of Dunstan’s ambitious remodelling and expansion of the abbey. By the time of the coming of the Normans, the abbey was the wealthiest in England. 

 

Building Upon a Legend

Timeline

c. 63 CE
Legendary foundation of the Old Church and first community at Glastonbury
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410 CE
Departure of the last Roman legions from Britain
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670 – 690 CE
First grants of land recorded, first Saxon Church built at Glastonbury
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940 – 963 CE
Church extended by Abbot Dunstan
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967 – 975 CE
Kings Edmund and Edgar buried at the abbey
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1066
Battle of Hastings, start of Norman era

Fame and misfortune

c. 1066 - 1400
The Norman Church

With the coming of the Normans came a change in regime. Abbot Thurstin’s reforms were not welcomed by all of the monks, and tension ended in a bloody battle in which several monks were killed by Norman forces. The Norman abbey, however, continued to flourish, particularly under the rule of Abbot Henry of Blois. It was during this time that William of Malmesbury wrote his famous History of Glastonbury that served to expand upon the early origin legend. 

Disaster struck in 1184 when a great fire destroyed most of the abbey including the Old Church. Rebuilding began immediately, with the support of King Henry II, beginning with the Lady Chapel which commemorated and preserved the position of the Old Church. Within two years it was complete, and work began upon the rest of the church.
A few years later, the monks of Glastonbury announced the discovery of the body of King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere, a claim that helped draw much needed funding, which had ceased with Henry II’s death two years before. By the end of the 13th century the church was complete, and Arthur’s bones were reburied in a lavish ceremony attended by King Edward I and Queen Eleanor. 

Fame and misfortune

Timeline

1078 – 1096
First Norman abbot Thurstin met with resistance culminating in battle
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1100 – 1118
Period of rebuilding and extension
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1126 – 1171
Abbey flourishes under Abbot Henry of Blois
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1184
Great fire destroys abbey including the Old Church
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1186
The Lady Chapel is completed on the site of the Old Church
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1189
Work begins on rebuilding the east end of the church
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1191
Tombs of King Arthur and Guinevere discovered
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1213
The Great Church is consecrated
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1274 – 1291
Nave completed, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor attend reburial of Arthur in the choir
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1322 – 1342
Abbot’s Hall, lodging, and Kitchen built
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1348
The Black Death kills a third of the population of England

Peak and Decline

c.1400 - 1539
The Dissolution

By the 16th century, the abbey’s power and wealth had peaked. The abbot lived in enviable splendour in his own lodgings, and entertained the rich and powerful from his great hall. Glastonbury’s mythic power also peaked, with the final development of centuries of legend - the claim that Joseph of Arimathea was the abbey’s first founder. 

In 1534, the passing of the Act of Supremacy made Henry VIII the head of the Church of England and suppression of the monasteries began. Glastonbury held out as long as possible, but eventually Abbot Richard Whiting was arrested on a fabricated charge of treason and executed in 1539, marking the end for the monastery. 

Peak and Decline

Timeline

1374 – 1420
The cloister is remodelled
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1493 – 1524
Joseph of Arimathea legend thrives. Abbot Beere has Joseph’s crypt chapel built.
Additions of the Edgar Chapel, Loretto Chapel, and St. Patrick’s almshouses
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1534 – 1538
Last abbot Richard Whiting signs the Act of Supremacy. Suppression of the monasteries begins
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1539
Dissolution of Glastonbury Abbey and hanging of Richard Whiting on the Tor

A New Era

1539 - present
Post-Dissolution

Immediately following the Dissolution, the abbey was stripped of its valuables and the land was awarded to the Duke of Somerset. Ornate stone and hardcore alike were taken for use in new buildings and roads in the town. The Abbot’s Kitchen escaped the dismantling – perhaps because it proved useful intermittently over the centuries. The ruins drew the attention of antiquarians of the 17th and 18th centuries, and William Stukeley’s sketches, although drawing on earlier sources not just his eye, prove to be amongst the most famous of the post-Dissolution abbey.

The site changed hands over the years, and in 1825 was acquired by new owner John Fry Reeves who had Abbey House constructed with a view over the ruins. The last family to live in the house were the locally well-known and prosperous Austin family at the turn of the 20th century. When the house and grounds went to auction in 1907 there was considerable speculation about who would acquire it. The abbey was purchased by Ernest Jardine who then passed it to the Church of England when the necessary funds were raised. 

The abbey was opened to the public and extensive restoration work began, as well as the beginnings of archaeological digs that would continue sporadically throughout the century.

The abbey is now operated by a registered charity, and continues to welcome visitors from the world over. 

A New Era

Timeline

1547 - 1553
The abbey site is granted to Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset. A colony of refugee Flemish weavers is settled on the site
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1825 – 1830
Site acquired by John Fry Reeves. Abbey House built
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1896 – 1906
Site inhabited by the Austin family
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1907
Glastonbury Abbey purchased on behalf of the Church of England
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1908 
Abbey site opened to the public. Conservation begins under W. D. Caroe. Excavations by Frederick Bligh Bond
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1951 – 1979
Excavations of Ralegh Radford and Wedlake
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1963
The Glastonbury Abbey Estate charity is formed 
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2009
The charity in its current form is registered
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2018
Management of Abbey House returns to the abbey charity

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