One of my favourite gardens to visit is the Chalice Well in Glastonbury. I love everything about it, especially the 'story' that the garden tells. I often think with any garden that it is this particular element, a garden's story, that is so difficult to get right. Difficult because a garden's story needs to be natural and subtle. You certainly should not be obliged to suspend your disbelief at the garden gate! If you want an example of how a garden design can get its story completely right, visit Chalice Well.
Located at the base of Glastonbury Tor and a short stroll from the town center, Chalice Well offers a unique experience. Strolling along Edgarley Road (the A361) is an adventure in its own right, where you may encounter the local 'wand seller' and other intriguing New Age attractions that make Glastonbury such a wonderful and alternative place to visit.
At the garden's heart is a holy well that has been a site of pilgrimage for thousands of years. The high iron oxide content of its waters leaves a rusty residue on anything that it flows over, which gives it its name the Red Spring. When the nearby medieval Abbey was at its height, there circulated a legend that Joseph of Arimathea had visited the area after the death of Christ and buried the Holy Grail on the slopes of the Tor. According to this legend, the spring has run red ever since.
The pagans claim a longer affiliation to the site, and the cult of Goddess plays strong in some of the garden design and themes within the garden. Amongst the planting you may find little nooks garlanded with offerings of petals and flowers. This all adds to the spiritual charm of the place.
The daily minute of silence is something that is observed at 12pm and again at 3pm. The tradition was started by the founder of the Chalice Well Trust, Henry Tudor Pole, as a way of spiritually navigating the horrors of the First and Second World Wars. Tudor Pole was a friend of Churchill, and his minute's silence was something that was picked up by the BBC when its broadcast would fall silent at 9pm each evening during the dark days of the latter of these terrible conflicts.
The garden of Chalice Well is steeped in stories, legends and ancient myth. For me, it is the layout of the garden that makes for its best story. The garden is set on a natural incline down which flows the waters of the spring. This is guided through a series of rills and ponds along its wending route through the garden, and passes through a series of 'garden rooms', each with its own distinct style and theme. At one point the water gushes from the head of a stone lion. Here you may sample (in small quantities) some of the spring water.
I hope that you get the chance to visit the Chalice Well on your next trip to the West Country.
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