Beckery Chapel Excavations Open Day
Research excavations by the South West Heritage Trust have revealed evidence of the complex of buildings that formed the chapel and monastery at Beckery near Glastonbury.
At an open day, on Sunday 22 May from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, visitors will have an opportunity to see the remains of the medieval chapels for the first time since the 1960s.
South West Heritage Trust Archaeologist, Dr Richard Brunning, explained: “Previous excavations in the ’60s suggested that a Saxon monastery may have been present on the site before it became a chapel. The present research aims to get new scientific dating samples to precisely date the monastic cemetery for the first time.”
The chapel at Beckery is connected to legendary visits by King Arthur, who is said to have seen a vision of Mary Magdalene and the baby Jesus there, and with the Irish saint Bridget who reputedly visited in AD 488 and left some possessions at the site, which later became a place of pilgrimage.
The excavations have involved local volunteers, supervised by professional archaeologists. Funding for the project has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Avalon Marshes Landscape Partnership Project.
The Beckery site is located at the western edge of the Morland Enterprise Park (ST4861 3810) near the Red Brick Building. The nearest postcode is BA6 9NY. There is limited parking available in the area.
