by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025
Now in ruins, Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th century. Glastonbury has long been associated with the legend of King Arthur. Three Kings and one Queen Consort from the House of Wessex (reigned 871 to 1013) were buried at Glastonbury Abbey. A major fire in 1184 caused much destruction, but Glastonbury Abbey was rebuilt. By the 14th century, Glastonbury Abbey was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England. In 1908, the Diocese of Bath and Wells purchased the ruins.
Stained glass depicting the martyrdom of Blessed Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury, at Sacred Heart Church in Minehead, Somerset, England; Credit – Wikipedia
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, from 1536 to 1541, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Glastonbury Abbey was dissolved, stripped of its possessions, and the tombs were destroyed. Glastonbury Abbey was left in ruins after it was stripped of anything valuable, including bricks, which were used in other buildings. When Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, resisted, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor on November 15, 1539. Richard Whiting is considered a martyr by the Roman Catholic Church, which beatified him as Blessed Richard Whiting in 1895.
King Arthur
A circa 1385 tapestry of King Arthur, wearing a coat of arms often attributed to him; Credit – Wikipedia
Glastonbury is the supposed location of Avalon, the mystical isle where Arthur was taken after his final battle. Traditionally, Arthur was accepted as a historical person, as an ancient British war commander and then, beginning in the early 12th century, as a king. However, the existence of Arthur as a historical figure is uncertain. There is no definitive proof that he was a real person. Some historians speculate that he might have been a real warrior who led British armies against Saxon invaders in the 6th century, but there is no concrete evidence.
A medieval legend claimed that Glastonbury Abbey was founded in the 1st century by Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man and disciple of Jesus who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. During the late 12th century, Joseph of Arimathea became connected with the legend of King Arthur, appearing in the legends as the first keeper of the Holy Grail, the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. The Holy Grail appears in the legends of King Arthur when a mystical event prompts King Arthur to send his knights on a quest to find it.
Glastonbury Abbey monks claimed to have found the graves of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere in 1191, further solidifying the connection between Glastonbury and King Arthur. The monks unearthed a stone coffin containing two skeletons, one identified as Arthur and the other as Guinevere. A lead cross inscribed with “Here lies buried the renowned King Arthur, with Guinevere his second wife, in the Isle of Avalon” was found with the remains. Many historians doubt the authenticity of the discovery, and some believe the monks fabricated the story to boost the abbey’s status and attract pilgrims.
Burials
- Saint Aristobulus of Britannia (? – 99)
- Saint Eosterwine (650 – 686), Abbot of Wearmouth Abbey in Northumbria
- Saint Indract of Glastonbury (? – 710)
- Saint Drusa (also known as Dominica) of Glastonbury (? – 710), sister of Saint Indracht
- Hwaetberht (? – 740s), Abbot of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory in Northumbria
- Saint Hædde (? – circa 705), Bishop of Winchester
- Edmund I, King of the English (921 – 964), assassinated
- Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English (circa 943 – 975)
- Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia (? – 983)
- Edmund II Ironside, King of the English (circa 990 – 1016)
- Ealdgyth (circa 992 – after 1016), wife of Edmund II Ironside, King of the English
- Saint Bertwald of Ramsbury (? – 1045), Bishop of Ramsbury and Sonning
- Michael of Amesbury (? – 1252), Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey
- Sir Thomas Stawell (circa 1369 – 1439), buried in the South Transept
- Humphrey Stafford, 1st Earl of Devon (circa 1439 – 1469), executed during the Wars of the Roses, buried under the Southern Arch
- Richard Beere (before 1493 – 1524), Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey
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Works Cited
- Glastonbury Abbey. (2022). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury_Abbey
- History & Archaeology – Glastonbury Abbey. (n.d.). www.glastonburyabbey.com. https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/history.php
- Memorials in Glastonbury Abbey – Find a Grave. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2171372/memorial-search?cemeteryName=Glastonbury+Abbey&page=1#sr-189653769
- Myths & Legends | Explore | Glastonbury Abbey. (2024). Glastonburyabbey.com. https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/myths-and-legends.php
- The Abbey | Explore | Glastonbury Abbey. (2015). Glastonburyabbey.com. https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/the-abbey.php
- Welcome to Glastonbury Abbey. (n.d.). www.glastonburyabbey.com. https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/
