Somerset’s old English name roughly translates to “Land of the Summer People”
This is due to the fact that a large part of the land was wetland marsh and only liveable during the summer months when it dried out.
For me and probably most people that live in Somerset Glastonbury Tor is the iconic landmark of the county.
Rising above the Somerset Levels the Tor can be seen from all directions many miles away on a clear day.
This image was created as a fine art print for my photography gallery.
I wanted to create a glimpse of how this historic majestic site may have appeared when it was surrounded by that ancient flooded marshland. I wanted to show it emerging from the flat moorland as the ancient isle of Avalon.
It was winter a time when the Somerset wetlands are often flooded so it made sense that this would be the best chance to create the image I had in my head.
I learned my craft here on the moors shooting endless rolls of film and thousands of hours exploring the lanes and droves with my camera and notebook.
I decided the area around Catcot Lows could provide the perfect.
I needed a clear view over the wetlands of the Tor and a body of water in the foreground. As you would expect this took a fair time to find but eventually my persistence paid off.
It was a pretty damp cold day but the sun had started to break through the clouds in places and so I was hopeful of a good sunset.
I set up a strong composition but not very comfortable one for me so low down on the spongy damp peat.
It was a waiting game for the light but this gave me time to experiment with adding texture to the water in the foreground with a few well-launched stones.
The stillness of the water reflected the warm sky, casting a golden light across the landscape. The sight of the slightly hazy Tor provides a stunning centerpiece to this captivating place and the natural beauty of the wetlands that surrounds it.
I lost myself as I often do while shooting watching the transitioning light and clouds dance across the water and forgetting the cold and dampness beneath me.
I had the image I wanted complete with some lovely textures of a well-aimed stone.
I packed up my gear and headed home to dry out and warm but a very happy chap.
History
Glastonbury Tor hill is topped by the roofless Grade 1 tower called St Michael’s Tower.
The Tor is mentioned in Celtic mythology, and more famously in myths linked to King Arthur.
The National Trust manages the site and explain on their website some of the myths linked to the site.
Beneath the hill, it is said, that there is a hidden cave through which you can pass in to the fairy realm of Annwn.
There dwells the lord of the Celtic underworld Gwyn ab Nudd with the Cauldron of Rebirth.
Later tradition has it that here lies the Holy Grail brought here by Jesus’s uncle, Joseph of Arimathea.
The Cauldron and the Grail were both the object of quests for King Arthur and his knights.
Glastonbury has a long tradition of being ‘The Isle of Avalon’ where King Arthur went after his last battle.
The monks of Glastonbury Abbey claimed to have actually found his grave in 1191.
Jesus is said to have come to Glastonbury as a boy, traveling here with Joseph of Arimathea.
Joseph was a tin merchant and had travelled to the South-West for this valuable metal.
This legend inspired William Blake to write the famous poem ‘Jerusalem’;
This gives you some insight why so many are drawn to the site.
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