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Glastonbury is best known for the myths and legends surrounding both Glastonbury Tor, a prominent hill rising up from the surrounding flat landscape; Glastonbury Abbey, which together have made the town a thriving centre for mystical, New Age, alternative spirituality; and the annual Glastonbury Festival, a summer music festival that has been likened to the equivalent of an ongoing Woodstock music festival.
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You can take busses from Wells or other major cities in the area to get to Glastonbury. A National Express coach leaves the High Street early in the morning, and one returns at night to get you to London and back, or you could get a Megabus or train to Bristol and then get the 376 local service to Glastonbury (1.5 h)
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There are 5 bus services in Glastonbury but you can easily get around walking through the town since it's quite small
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Glastonbury Tor [url=http://www.glastonburytor.org.uk/]]- maintained by the National Trust
*Glastonbury Abbey [http://www.glastonburyabbey.com/[/url], open summer 9am-6pm, winter 10am-4.30pm, admission £5 adults, concessions available - a place of pilgrimage for thousands worldwide each year, one of the legendary burial places of King Arthur
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Glastonbury Festival [url=http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/],]tel 01458 834596 (within UK) or +441458 834596 (international) - this festival is held annually at the end of June and is famous for its wide range of headlining music acts ranging from rock to (in 2004) opera. Be aware that in bad weather it is also famous for its seas of mud! Actually, the festival is held near the small village of Pilton, but since Glastonbury is the nearby town and because of its New Age connections, it has lent its name to the event.
*West Country Carnival [http://www.westcountrycarnivals.co.uk/[/url] - this carnivial is annually held in November where lots of floats are made by local clubs and raise money for local charities. There are many floats every year each with up to 30,000 lights and 100ft long.
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A selection of crystals, semi precious stones, incense and esoteric books are available. Most shops on the high street are not chain stores; therefore, you are guaranteed to find an unusual item.
An abundance of witchcraft, pagan and goddess shops will confront you, and it's worth taking a look at at least one of them on your visit here.
Of particular note is the new Gauntlet Thoroughfare, opened last year, which contains a plethora of specialist shops, at 11 High Street.
Look around. Certain crystal shops regularly overinflate prices, and a couple don't even have prices. We locals feel they have the 'Look at the shoes and handbag of the person and then pluck a price out of thin air' method of pricing. Beware of this, and look around a few different shops before you purchase anything.
Just a few miles down the road is Clarks Village, which is a shopping centre with many factory outlets and a large variety of things to buy.
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Although there are a number of pubs in Glastonbury, the "proper English" pubs are found in [wiki=b9707a274c0937b0e4cd0f4ab1dbd593]Wells[/wiki] (20 min bus ride away). Once in Wells, The Rose and Crown and The City Arms are both nice pubs for a drink. The Rose and Crown has a pool table, so you can have a lovely game of pool whilst sampling some great local ales.
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Although there is now a new Travelodge just out of town, your best bet is one of the numerous bed and breakfasts, ranging in price and quality markedly. The Overlook http://glastonburyoverlook.co.uk/ , right on the High Street, above the stationers is of particular note, as is Number Three http://www.numberthree.co.uk/, both in walking distance of the main shops and sights. There are 34 other bed and breakfast establishments in Glastonbury and it is best to look for the ones that are rated 4 star by Visit Britain and Quality in Tourism, especially AppleTree House and Parsnips Bed and Breakfast http://appletreehouse.org.uk/ and http://parsnips-glastonbury.co.uk/.
*This cozy inn is just a few miles outside Glastonbury and great if you have a car. Day trips to Bristol, Bath, and Stonehenge are all easy from this location, and the facilities are casual and comfortable. The helpful owner offers a cooked breakfast in the morning and leaves out cereal, milk, tea/coffee, and juice. The food is quite good in the western-themed bar & restaurant.
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[[WikiPedia:Glastonbury]]
[wiki=0b6c21f7a8ea00967f6af9841b3a3381]World66:europe/unitedkingdom/england/bristol_plymouth/glastonbury[/wiki]
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