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    About 2 The Site 3 Agriculture 4 Building Materials 5 The Abbey 6 The Town 7 Transport 8 Administration & Public Buildings 9 Industry and Commerce 10 Planning
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    About 1545 Leland 1610 William Camden 1610 Senior 1655 Hollar / Newcourt 1675 Ogilby Road Plan 1698 Celia Fiennes 1714 Charles Eyston, The Thorn Legend 1722 Enclosure plan 1723 Stukeley 1735 John Cannon 1784 John Carter 1799 Cox Survey 1822 Church Rate Survey 1825/6 Skinner Part I 1825/6 Skinner Part II 1825 Buckler 1826 Richard Warner 1837 Dawson 1844 Tythe Survey (town centre) 1850 Abbey Sale & Dolby Illustrations 1855/1860 Kershaw, Rocke, etc views 1885 Sheppard Dale
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2 The Site

Glastonbury lies upon the steep sided hills and ridges of middle and upper lias which rise to the Tor Hill’s 520 feet above mean sea level.  It dominates the surrounding moors or levels of peat and alluvial clay which lie at an elevation of only 20 feet—below the level of the high tides of the Bristol Channel which is only 15 miles away.

The native trees on the levels are willow and alder.  The range of local plants, often now only found by neglected rhynes (drainage ditches), is decreasing as the water table drops with advances and modifications in levels farming.  The orchids common within a mile of Glastonbury 70 years ago have now gone but the comparatively rare soft hornwort has been seen in neglected ditches and there are still specimens of ragged robin, marsh woundwort, purple loose strife and meadow sweet close to the town.  Many of the meadows are covered with buttercups in the spring and the yellow flag is still common.

On the Avalon Hills are ash and oak with an occasional specimen of the Glastonbury thorn.  The hedgerows still retain some of the formerly common elm, together with hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel.  In places limestone downland flora survive—birdsfoot trefoil, self heal and hawkbits.  In the steep sided coombes are primroses whilst harts tongue and other fern are plentiful.  A number of cowslips and violets have survived the illegal picking which we believe is now decreasing as so many wild flower seeds are becoming commercially available.

The yellow vetch seen on the Tor in 1860 is now long gone.  It was noted as one of the species that are normally only found by the sea—relics of the time when tidal waters came over the levels. Many alien plants also came into the area on imported fleeces for the tanneries and are now to be found on the sites of their waste tips.

 

 
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