A very varied spiritual place. Today Glastonbury is about respect, tolerance and listening to one another https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/history_archaeology.php
related Glastonbury Abbey's Sphere of Influence 1/2 Shapwick House where Abbot Whiting was Arrested in 1539 http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/103110 Glastonbury Abbey's Sphere of Influence 2/2 Anglo-Saxon Longhouse, Westhay and Fish House, Mere http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/103112
William of Malmsbury describes Glastonbury Abbey scribes Four fires of the medieval Abbots kitchen West side wet: cauldron fire and scullery fire, East side dry: spit fire and industrial pastry/cake oven - head chefs gallery from where the Maitre De Hotel would command the cooking operation - a medical Michelin five star restaurant Scale of Glastonbury, like Westminster one of two biggest abbeys in the country £3,500 to £4,000, thats £1.3 bullion in todays money Roof arch design has Islamic architecture influence 700 year old vaulted ceiling medieval air conditioning with shutters designed to convect air into and smoke out of the kitchen - fire proof building Abbots kitchen was used after the devolution by Flemish weavers, a farm building and Quakers used it as a meeting house Abbots dining hall, he was a bishop too, 50, 60 or 70 monks, plus 100 support staff. Educated at the monastery, healthcare alms and dole A social institution that reached out Dissolution of the monasteries meant an end to social services, private institutions were set up by the guilds Huge social change in the dissolution and English civil war and destruction of statues by the Puritans and other monuments Pensions to the monks and other staff at dissolution to pay them off, or bribe them The last Abbot Richard Whiting put his life on the line against Henry VIII Dissolution all about land money and power Chapel to Mary, below it chapel to St Joseph, the crypt or undercroft. Votive offering a bit like tree dressing to bind wishes and prayers 1539 Whiting was hung drawn and quartered on the tor, barbaric Abbot of Englands premiere Abbey, if we can make an example of the kings commissioners will find the rest of the dissolution easier Memorial service 15th November 2017 the first memorial service was held to Glastonburys courageous last Abbot, Richard Whiting, Richard Whitings footprint in history Glastonbury a magnet for nut-cases? A very varied spiritual place. Today Glastonbury is about respect, tolerance and listening to one another Falling away from the Christian faith today, a falling away of religion but increase in spirituality but what about belief in God? Numbers believing in God growing in other parts of the world Price to visit the Abbey is £8.25 for adults - year pass in £40.00 Reflections and meditation are free if you get written permission beforehand Museum in the Abbey too - lots of research with Reading University - Anglo-Saxon monastery Was King Arthurs tomb just made up, a forgery? Mallory wrote about Arthur - but was he just fictional? Not quite a king - rather like Alfred the Great Edward III visited the tomb which was supported by white marble lions - enormous prestige - sold the medieval brand of Glastonbury The ornate Othery cope high priests richly decorated garment was hidden after the dissolution, found over 300 years later in the 1850s under Othery parish church altar well preserved and wrapped in a tarred cloth Todays Goddess temple in Glastonbury would not have been allowed in medieval times How Luke came to work at the Abbey in the educational department Recent discoveries about the Anglo-Saxon monastery and its function and layout - glass working furnaces on the site, earliest glass working in Britain, refined high status craft.