Wells have been seen as gateways between the veils of the human and the spirit world for ages. Their cool, deep ever-flowing waters symbolize the ancient ubiquity of the Goddesses and Gods of the land. In the heart of Glastonbury, the Isle of Avalon, two of Britain’s oldest continuously used holy wells flow day and night, providing all Pilgrims who make their way to this Holy Isle with serenity, healing and a calm respite from the chaotic and intense energy of Glastonbury. Archaeological findings show that these ancient springs were used by prehistoric tribes millennia ago. Named the "Blood Spring" and the "White Spring", Chalice Well and its underused counterpart, the White Spring have been in continuous use for at least the past 2,000 years.
Magic is tangible in the cloistered gardens of Chalice Well, situated on the slopes of the Glastonbury Tor just outside in the heart of Glastonbury on Chilkwell Street. Its fame attracts Pilgrims, both Pagan and Christian alike, to its soothing waters and lush, meticulously cared-for gardens. In 1959, Chalice Well was celebrated and resanctified by infamous mystic and peace activist Wellesley Tudor Pole, who founded the Chalice Well Trust. Currently Chalice Well Gardens is cared for by wonderful trustees and volunteers.
The gardens sit upon a gentle slope below the Glastonbury Tor. Paths of lavender and other perennial herbs and flowers meander upon the hillside, leading you through flowing, lush gardens. Gates and walkways are marked with inlaid spirals and the Vesica Piscis, an ancient glyph that has become synonymous with the "Red Well", so called for its iron-rich waters that turn all it touches a reddish-orange hue.
Many believe that this place is a site where the Holy Grail was once guarded. Depicted in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s cult classic "The Mists of Avalon", Chalice Well was constantly guarded by priestesses of the Goddess who hid the Holy Grail, or its pre-Christian predecessor, the Chalice, along with other sacred treasures.
During our visit to Glastonbury, Chalice Well became a respite from the daily chaos of Glastonbury’s High Street. We visited the gardens no less than 3 times during our two week stay, each time connecting with a different part of the landscape. I lay in the grass of the Upper Garden, Wearyall Hill across from me and the Tor directly above, and wondered at the his/herstory of this ancient and sacred land. While sitting in the garden by the covered portion of the well, I watched as several people would walk up to the well and cry, be still and silent, or sing a soft song to the water. One day I sat in King Arthur’s Court- the most serene (I think) part of the property, and stuck my feet in the icy cold healing pool, its rush making my feet tingle and ache.
My travel partner and I also walked around the outside of the walled gardens of Chalice Well, onto Chilkwell Street- where there is a public access to the waters from the Red Well. Across from the public access is a small, dark, dank and abandoned building that used to house what is known as the White Spring. Outside on a corner of its tiny wellhouse (used to be home to a Victorian reservoir which turned into a café) a small trickle of water pours from a neglected spout. Now abandoned, the reservoir collected the waters of the White Spring, a frequently visited pilgrimage site. It is said that the building of the reservoir ruined forever the flow of the spring and flooded ancient cells of monks who used to live at the base of the Tor. Just a small trickle of its former self, the White Spring still attracts pilgrims, who we watched collect its waters in recycled jugs.
Chalice Well Gardens offers rooms for rent, and even an entire house, known as Little St. Michael’s. There are also many B&B’s and private cottages surrounding the gardens, along quaint meandering lanes that encircle the Tor. The Gardens also boast a tiny, albeit well-stocked gift shop where you can pick up Vesica Pisces jewelry, Pagan and Christian books and CDs, gorgeous artwork and even candles to light in the garden and bottles to collect the water in.
The energies of the springs flow true and deep. Although the dichotomy of the wells is apparent, the Red Well being protected and cared for by a staff of caretakers, while the White Spring is rather neglected and a former shell of itself, both the Chalice Well Gardens and the White Spring have an air of quiet mysticism that provides all who enter a chance to sit, rest and look within.
Chalice Well and The White Spring
Chilkwell Street
Glastonbury
Somerset
England
BA6 8DD
Close