Glastonbury Abbey

Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset was one of the wealthiest and most important monasteries in medieval England before its brutal dissolution in 1539, when the last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered on Glastonbury Tor. The ruins sit within a landscape already steeped in Arthurian and Christian legend, including claims to be the burial place of King Arthur and Guinevere.

Monastic figures are the most reported presences — robed monks seen among the ruins and a sense of being watched near the Lady Chapel. Unusually, the abbey is tied to a documented case of "psychic archaeology": in the early 20th century architect Frederick Bligh Bond claimed to locate buried chapels through automatic writing said to come from long-dead monks, a controversy that cost him his post.

Between real Dissolution-era violence, deep legend and the Bligh Bond affair, Glastonbury is a rich case study in how history, faith and belief in the paranormal intertwine — and how to keep them straight.

Glastonbury Abbey is owned by a charitable trust and open to visitors with paid admission, set in 36 acres of parkland with a museum and interpretation of the ruins. Opening hours are seasonal and the site hosts events through the year; check the official website before visiting.

It remains a place of pilgrimage for many, so visitors are asked to be considerate of others using the grounds for reflection.