Pilgrimage in Glastonbury
Glastonbury Information Centre
St Dunstan's House,
​1, Magdalene Street, 
Glastonbury, BA6  9EL
Tel: 01458 832954  
​
  • Home
  • Pilgrimage
    • The P Word - Will Parsons & Guy Hayward
    • PILGRIMAGE in Glastonbury
    • Pilgrimage routes to Glastonbury
    • Taking Care of Glastonbury and the Environment
    • Spiritual Crisis
    • A pilgrims' journey #1 - A walk across time to Glastonbury
    • A Pilgrims' Journey #2 - The Road to Peace Pilgrimage into Glastonbury
  • EXPLORE
    • Bride's Mound
    • Chalice Well & Gardens
    • St John's Church
    • Glastonbury Abbey
    • Glastonbury Thorn
    • Gog & Magog
    • Glastonbury Tor
    • White Spring
  • Unity Candle
    • An Invitation to join with the Glastonbury Unity Candle every evening at 9pm.
    • Buy your own Glastonbury Unity Candle
    • An Avalon Anthem - a song for Glastonbury
  • Glastonbury Gifts
    • Contact our shop
  • Stay
  • Glastonbury Virtual Summer Solstice 21st June 2020
  • Glastonbury Virtual Summer Solstice - Your Ceremonialists
  • Therapies
    • Join the Glastonbury Therapists' Forum
  • Tours
  • Spiritual Paths
    • Buddhism
    • Christianity
    • Contemporary Paths
    • Hinduism
    • Open To All Paths/Interfaith
    • Islam
    • Judaism
    • Pagan & Indiginous Traditions
    • Spiritual Teachers
    • Sufism
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Glastonbury 2012: UNITY
  • The Glastonbury Peace Pole
  • Support
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Community Organisations & Projects
  • Buy your own Glastonbury Unity Candle

Things to do and places to see in Glastonbury:
 The White Spring

The iron gate of the White Spring Glastonbury
Next to Chalice Well, in Well House Lane is the White Spring. The building of a reservoir over an attractive combe, by the Water Board in 1872, was met with huge opposition from local antiquarians, objecting to the destruction of a popular beauty spot much frequented by locals. A site steeped in history and mythology, the antiquarians said that stone foundations could be seen and possibly the remnants of monk’s cells. They also said that the water of the spring coated stones, as well as the branches and leaves that dipped into the water with a heavy white calciferous deposit. George Wright (1896) wrote:
“And what was Glastonbury like then? One thing that clings to me was the beautiful Well House Lane of those days, before it had been spoilt by the erection of the reservoir. There was a small copse of bushes on the right hand running up the hill, and through it could be, not seen, but heard, the rush of running water, which made itself visible as it poured into the lane. But the lane itself was beautiful, for the whole bank was a series of fairy dropping wells – little caverns clothed with moss and vedure, and each small twig and leaf was a medium for the water to flow, drop, drop, drop into a small basin below. This water contained lime, and pieces of wood or leaves subject to this dropping became encrusted with a covering of lime. For a long time I attended those pretty caverns with affectionate care, and Well House Lane was an object of interest to all our visitors”

The White Spring Garden Glastonbury©www.stardustphotography.uk
At the turn of the century, outbreaks of cholera in the area were a great concern and the natural caves were dug out, and the stone collection chamber was constructed to ensure the flow of a quality water supply. Study of the flow of water into the collection chamber has shown that the builders also tapped into other springs, besides the White Spring. Judging from the high iron content of one of these springs, it appears that a small offshoot of Chalice Well finds its way under Well House Lane to emerge besides the White Spring.

The White Spring itself has a high calcium carbonate content, originating from the limestone that underlies the area. Calcium carbonate, or calcite, will crystallise into a variety of forms or create flowstone formations. Flowstone formations  are created when water oozes over the cave walls or floors and the calcite in the water gradually hardens into a smooth, shiny surface. Hardened calcite itself is colourless, but flowstone can be colourful if minerals from the soil and rock add new hues. Flowstone formations look like melted cake icing or a frozen waterfall. Examples of these can be seen at the nearby Wookey Hole caves near Wells.
Imagine then how spectacular Well House Lane must have looked before the reservoir was built.

It is said that the combe was an entrance to a system of caves beneath the Tor and the Underworld of the Celtic tradition. This Underworld was the home of Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Fairies and Lord of Anwnn. The Welsh Saint Collen was said to be Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey in the 7th century and on his retirement, he retreated to a life of contemplation beside a spring at the foot of Tor. It was St. Collen that banished Gwyn and his actions amounted to an exorcism of the underworld realm. Many people believe that that the Fey Folk simply shifted to another dimension and still reside in the Tor. The fairy dropping wells as described by George Wright would have helped to continue the belief that this was indeed a place touched by the Fey.

After building the reservoir, the Water board soon discovered that the high calciferous content of the water caused pipes to block and by the end of the 19th century water was piped into Glastonbury from out of town. After lying derelict for many years, the Water Board sold off the White Spring. The pump house has now been converted into a temple space, created in gratitude for  the gift of pure water. In blackness  or candle lit, The White Spring offers a wonderful contrast to the sunlit gardens  of Chalice Well. With its constant temperature and the sound of the perpetually flowing water, it is a unique and sacred space. 

On the outside of the building is a tap where visitors and locals can collect the water of the White Spring.

For more information on The White Spring visit their website.  CONTACT: 
The White Spring Glastonbury Foundation, Glastonbury Opportunities Shop, Abbey Mews, Unit 7, 56-58 High Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9DY ​


More places to visit in Glastonbury

Bride's Mound | Chalice Well & Gardens | The Church of St John the Baptist | Glastonbury Abbey | 
The Glastonbury Experience Courtyard | Glastonbury Goddess Temple |  Glastonbury Thorn | 
Gog & Magog | Lake Village Museum | Library of Avalon | St. Margaret's Chapel & the 
Magdalene Almshouses | Somerset Rural Life Museum | Ponter's Ball | 
The Glastonbury Tercentennial Labyrinth | Glastonbury Tor | Wearyall Hill | White Spring |

We would love you to join our world-wide family and look forward to staying in touch with you.
​
Click here to sign up to our newsletter.


​CONTACT
ABOUT

Glaston Centre Ltd  (GCL) seeks to ensure that all content and information published on this site is current and accurate. Throughout this site are links to external sites and GCL cannot be held responsible for the contents or acuracy of any externally linked pages. Reference within this site to any specific commercial or non-commercial product or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Glaston Centre Ltd.

©ALL material on this website is protected by copyright. Unless otherwise stated no part of this website may be reproduced or used for any purpose other than private personal use without the prior written consent of the contributors and Glaston Centre Ltd.  Any unauthorised copying, publication or reproduction of the content of this website is strictly prohibited and constitutes an infringement of copyright.


© Glastonbury Pilgrim Reception Centre 2018
A division of Glaston Centre Ltd.  Head Office: 8A Market Place, Glastonbury, Somerset, England, BA6 9HW
Tel: +44 (0) 1458 834 589  - Company Number 7750831
Proudly supported by Glastonbury Town Council and the Glastonbury Trust
Created by Morgana West for Glaston Centre