Glastonbury Tor.

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Glastonbury Tor is in the English county of Somerset and is topped by the roofless St Michael's Tower, a Grade I listed building. The site is managed by the National Trust and has been designated a scheduled monument. The Tor is mentioned in Celtic mythology, particularly in myths linked to King Arthur, and has several other enduring mythological and spiritual associations.

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The conical hill of clay and Blue Lias rises from the Somerset Levels. It was formed when surrounding softer deposits were eroded, leaving a hard cap of sandstone exposed. The slopes of the hill are terraced, but the method by which they were formed remains unexplained.

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The earliest timber church dedicated to St Michael, is believed to have been constructed in the 11th or 12th century.

In 1243 Henry III granted a charter for a six-day fair at the site.

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This first St Michael's Church was destroyed by an earthquake on 11 September 1275. According to the British Geological Survey the earthquake was felt in London, Canterbury and Wales and was reported to have destroyed many houses and churches in England.

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A second church, also dedicated to St Michael, was built of local sandstone in the 14th century by the Abbot Adam of Sodbury, incorporating the foundations of the previous building. It included stained glass, decorated floor tiles and also had a portable altar of Purbeck Marble.

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St Michael's Church survived until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 when, except for the three story tower, it was demolished.

So what is now part of the iconic images of Glastonbury Tor, St Michael's Tower has lived an interesting life.

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