Accessing Avalon

Euan's Guide Ambassador, Karis, returned to Glastonbury this summer to embrace its healing properties and peacefulness by way of the nature and the local people. There were challenges to be faced, but in this guest blog post Karis explains why visiting Avalon is worth pushing herself out of her comfort zone and into location, where she fully embraced its spirituality. 

I’ve visited Glastonbury, also known as Avalon, many times in the past; they say that if you visit once, you will always return and that has certainly been the case for me. I would also add that the experience changed me and reminded me that there are still good people in the world when it seemed to me that that wasn’t the case; I find it an extremely healing place by way of its people, its myth and legends and its deep connection with nature.

There are many different tribes of people both in and drawn to Glastonbury and I’m grateful to everyone I’ve met for welcoming me into their worlds, from the Glastonbury Goddess community to the Mystics, Christians and Pagans, and the shopkeepers and local people. It truly is a place for all and represents the true meaning of diversity for me.  

I visited Glastonbury again after having been to four days of the World of Music, Arts and Dance festival this year, so I was in need of some calm influences after the buzz and frenetic energy of the festival. 

I stayed at both the Glastonbury Premier Inn and a rented cottage on the foot of Glastonbury Tor.  

The beautiful cottage was a converted stables and was sadly not accessible for me; I had to bring my own ramps to get in, there was a step to access the kitchen and bathroom, and the bathroom was very tight for me and too far away from the bedroom. Having said that, the owners had not advertised the cottage as wheelchair accessible, and they did everything they could to make it as accessible as possible, to the point of being prepared to let me have a chance to see if it worked for me. I really wanted to be in that magical location and despite the issues with accessibility, it was the nicest place I’ve ever stayed in Glastonbury. I was able to meet up with friends and family who I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic, and we had lovely reunions on the veranda in a spectacular setting which had a secret path up to the Tor.

Having had a serious health scare with my ventilator earlier that week, I felt in need of calm and healing, so I visited The Chalice Well Gardens to recover and recharge. There are four or five disabled parking spaces outside the well and an information centre as you arrive. We didn’t go into the information centre, so we didn’t discover the more accessible entrance to the gardens, but the lady at the kiosk further in was able to tell us about it. As we were already there, we just continued along a steep path into the gardens.  

This path would be difficult for most people with physical disabilities and there are steps leading off the path, however, I was still able to access most of the gorgeous gardens and different levels are accessible by ways other than the steps. It would be worth researching the map and finding the best routes before attempting them. The paths are very narrow in the upper levels but I found that people were kind enough to step off them or reverse to allow me access. There is also a shop on site selling gifts, plants and snacks and a disabled toilet which was very clean, comfortable and spacious; it also had grab rails and a red cord.  

Tackling these paths in my powerchair was so worth it; the gardens are just so healing and peaceful with lots of quiet areas and seats for rest, reflection and meditation. I was really impressed that I was able to access a ramped summerhouse with a great wheelchair-level window view down on the level below and I was able to feel immersed in the garden with all its natural beauty and sacred iron-rich Red Spring. You are able to drink the water from one of the sources in the garden; the water is believed to have healing properties and associations with the Divine Feminine; whatever your beliefs are or if you have none, it’s a magical ritual to participate in, in this beautiful, calm place. 

It's also possible to drink from the Red Spring outside the walls of the Chalice Well Gardens, just around the corner in Well House Lane. Opposite this source of the Red Spring there is a calcite-rich White Spring with its temple: an incredible sacred space which all people can access at set times. The Companions of the White Spring have ensured that there is wheelchair access to the temple through a side door; the temple has to be experienced, I loved it and its ethos. 

Glastonbury High Street is not easy to negotiate if you have a physical disability; the pavements are narrow and many of the buildings are very old and have steps at the entrance, however, I have found that it’s always worth asking if there is a temporary ramp available; I found this when I visited various shops and cafes which appeared inaccessible initially. Lots of venues are really keen to welcome you and will put out ramps, move stands etc. An outstanding shop for me was White Rabbit which challenged my expectations; I had assumed that it was inaccessible but I couldn’t have been more wrong, the staff and owner are lovely and helpful. I made a return visit this time and I’m very pleased to report that they are still just as welcoming and representative of the ‘Glastonbury spirit’. 

Other venues have been slower to offer access but I’m encouraged that the Hundred Monkeys café has finally offered access by way of a ramp. Having told me last year that I couldn’t access the accessible entrance as there was a bin in front of it, on this visit, the bin was still there outside the door. It also had a lot of rubbish spilling out of it onto the ground and the symbolism of this wasn’t lost on me. Additionally, the door was blocked on the other side by a table and chairs and having assured me that this wouldn’t happen again, I wasn’t hopeful. I’m happy that a friend reports they offer a ramp now and I will check this this out and review it on my next visit. I’m also pleased to report that after some correspondence with the owners, Middlewick Holiday Cottages, I was assured that they are going to construct accessible accommodation. In short, it’s great to see attitudes surrounding disability are changing.

On a similar note, I have always loved the Glastonbury Extravaganza which is held in the stunning Glastonbury Abbey and grounds; the 8th Century C.E. abbey is definitely worth a visit. There are many legends surrounding it, including that Arthur and Guinevere are buried in the grounds and that Joseph of Arimathea travelled here, possibly with Jesus!   It’s beautiful to walk / wheel around, with lots of pockets of peace, a fantastic herb garden, abbey kitchen, café and shop.  

All of this made it even more disappointing when my experience of the Extravaganza this year was initially less positive. This time, although the concert itself was great, the attitudes regarding access from some of the staff (and one concert-goer) at the disabled car-park entrance were less enlightened. Despite this, the other members of staff and some of the other concert-goers (who felt the need to apologise for such ignorance) more than made up for it and this was really moving for me: thank you good people; I know that the ableist element isn’t at all representative of the Abbey or the people of Glastonbury. For more info about a previous visit to the Abbey Extravaganza see my previous review.

Although I didn’t get the chance to visit this year, the medieval St. Margaret’s Chapel and Royal Magdalene Almshouses, which is also known as Magdalene Chapel by some, is always on my list of recommendations. It doesn’t appear accessible from the outside and although the ramp does still require careful negotiation in a powerchair, it is worth the effort to access this secret haven of stillness and beauty. Staff are also really helpful and friendly. 

Last but not least, I did access the Glastonbury Goddess Temple when I was younger and could be carried up the steps; the ladies were so gentle and welcoming to me and invited me into their sacred space. The building they rent for their temple is upstairs and inaccessible to wheelchairs, however, they do have wheelchair accessibility in another room, the Nolava Room in another of their buildings in Goddess House; Goddess Hall is also accessible. They have a shop in the Glastonbury Experience which is accessible too but it’s really tight in my powerchair.

Although I really love being up the Tor itself, I can’t physically access it anymore, however, I can still access the Avalon Orchard on the side of The Tor, which some say is the gateway to the Underworld! There is a kissing gate at the entrance to the Tor path which is very challenging for wheelchairs and you will need assistance to negotiate it. Once through, there is a steep but level concrete path leading up part of the Tor then you have to turn off the path and go across the field some way to access the orchard. It has a beautiful archway into it but again, it is a real struggle in a powerchair to get in through the kissing gate and over some rough ground (requiring two people). For me, it is certainly worth the effort and risk.  

We had an evening picnic there with a view of the sheep munching apples in the orchard below us, dragonflies flitting and birds singing; it was just like a scene from a pre-Raphaelite painting. We stayed there hypnotised as dusk fell, bats swooped silently over our heads and the moon rose up over the Tor; we listened to the drumming and chanting from those up at the summit of the Tor and meandered home in the dark, guided by shafts of moonlight and the phone torch!  

In a way, Glastonbury is symbolic of my personal experience of disability; I find that some people block your path but you also meet many, many more really amazing people who shine so brightly and help you find your way. Although access isn’t always easy, it is almost like a form of pilgrimage and Glastonbury has been a centre of pilgrimage for many centuries now. Your pilgrimage may be different from mine when you visit, it may be physical, spiritual or emotional, but when you look back I will bet that you undergo a form of healing on some level.

Tags: reviews, Ambassadors, guest blog