lastonbury has been a special place for pilgrims for nearly two thousand years. Some people believe that Joseph of Arimathea brought Jesus with him on one of his trips from the Middle East and that they arrived at Glastonbury by boat. There is an embroidered banner of Joseph and Jesus being rowed across a lake with Glastonbury Tor in the background. It hangs in the nearby village church of Pilton. However, it must be inaccurate, because it shows the Tower on the top of Glastonbury Tor, and the Tower (which is all that remains of an ancient church which was burnt down) did not exist two thousand years ago. What is known is that the area around Glastonbury used to be covered by water. The Abbey at Glastonbury grew to be very important, and by the 10th and 11th centuries it attracted many pilgrims. It was second in importance only to Canterbury. Like many religious buildings, it was destroyed in the 16th century, on the orders of Henry VIII, and all that remains now are the impressive ruins. The Pilgrims' Way arrived at Glastonbury on Friday 30th May, before going on to Wells, a few miles distant, and today a twenty minute coach ride away.

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