Glastonbury, Somerset

Glastonbury is a town on the Somerset levels, twenty three miles south of Bristol. Since 1970 the town has been home to the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, the largest greenfield music festival in the world. The Festival's founder and organiser, Michael Eavis, is a Methodist.

There is no record of John Wesley preaching in Glastonbury, but on 23 September 1755 Wesley climbed Glastonbury Tor and visited the tower, the remnant of St Michael's church.

Wesleyan Methodism began in Glastonbury with open air preaching, followed by meetings in private homes. A chapel was built in Lambrook Street in 1825 and gthis was replaced with a larger building in 1863-66; a new Sunday School was added in 1873. The premises were renovated in 1922.

Primitive Methodism: A chapel was built in Northload Street in 1844 and extended in 1888.

Sources
  • 'Glastonbury', Western Gazette, 25 May 1866, page 7.
  • 'Wesleyan New Sunday School', Central Somerset Gazette, 17 May 1873, page 5.
  • 'Glastonbury', Western Gazette, 24 August 1888, page 6.

Entry written by: DHR
Category: Place
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