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George and Pilgrim

The George and Pilgrim was founded in 1470 in the reign of Edward the Fourth by Abbot Selwood as a hospice linked to the Glastonbury Abbey, giving accommodation to pilgrims. There had long been a Glastonbury legend of a secret tunnel linking the inn to the abbey, and this has been partially verified by recent exploration. The George and Pilgrim is in Glastonbury High Street, Somerset.

The inn was a place of rest for pilgrims searching for whatever it is that pilgrims of all kinds search for. Glastonbury is the centre of many myths and legends concerning the Holy Grail. This was a cup or plate used by Christ during the last supper and supposedly possessed magical power. Joseph of Arimethea, who the Bible describes as giving up his own grave for Christ, was said to have brought the Grail to Britain, and to have planted the Glastonbury Thorn. There are also tales of King Arthur who did much famous searching for the Grail. These legends show a complicted mix of Christian and pagan symbolism, from trees, long an object of worship, to the cups once offered to gods. It will never be clear where all these stories come from, and it will never really be clear what pilgrims and travellers are searching for. That is why the journey continues, and why the George and Pilgrim can still offer accommodation to travellers today.