Glastonbury

Abbey, Chalice Well and the Tor in one long day

One long day covers Glastonbury. Start at Glastonbury Abbey for the Lady Chapel, the marked site of Arthur's supposed tomb and the Abbot's Kitchen, then walk the High Street to the Tribunal. After lunch visit the Somerset Rural Life Museum and the Chalice Well gardens, and climb the Tor to St Michael's Tower for sunset.

Begin at Glastonbury Abbey when the gates open. Walk the grounds to the Lady Chapel, the marked site of the supposed tomb of Arthur and Guinevere, and the medieval Abbot's Kitchen, the best-preserved building on the site. From the Magdalene Street exit, turn up the High Street past the market cross to the Tribunal, a 15th-century merchant's house at number 9.

After lunch, head along Chilkwell Street to the Somerset Rural Life Museum in the abbey's great barn, then on to the Chalice Well. Its gardens are the calmest place in town, and the spring water runs red with iron. The White Spring stands across Well House Lane.

Save the Tor for late afternoon. The path climbs steeply to St Michael's Tower, all that remains of a church on the summit, and the light over the Levels is best as the sun drops. Walk back down for dinner on the High Street.

With a second day, take the bus 20 minutes to Wells for its cathedral and Bishop's Palace, or continue to Bath by road.

Somerset cider, Cheddar and High Street cafés

Glastonbury food combines Somerset farm produce with a High Street full of vegetarian and vegan cafés, bakeries and wholefood shops. Drink Somerset cider, from dry farmhouse scrumpy to sparkling bottles, and order a ploughman's lunch with Cheddar made near Cheddar Gorge. The George Hotel and Pilgrims' Inn has served travellers since the abbey's day.

Food in Glastonbury reflects two things: Somerset farm produce and a town with an unusually high share of vegetarians and vegans. The High Street has more meat-free cafés than most English towns, along with bakeries and wholefood shops.

The county's signature drink is cider, from dry farmhouse scrumpy to bottled sparkling versions, made from orchards across the Levels. Somerset's other great product is Cheddar cheese, named after the village at the foot of Cheddar Gorge about half an hour north; a ploughman's lunch with local Cheddar and pickle is the classic pub order. Look for apple cakes and cider brandy in local delis too.

Wells, 20 minutes away by bus, has a wider choice of pubs. In town, the George Hotel and Pilgrims' Inn on the High Street has served travellers since the abbey's day.

Festival summers and winter starlings on the Avalon Marshes

Glastonbury Festival runs at Worthy Farm in Pilton, usually over the last weekend of June, with a fallow year every few years; rooms across the area fill then. Spring and summer suit walking, autumn mists leave the Tor above the Levels, and in winter starlings gather at dusk over Ham Wall National Nature Reserve.

Late June is the moment the world hears the town's name. The Glastonbury Festival runs on Worthy Farm at Pilton, some miles east, usually over the last weekend of the month, with a fallow year taken every few years to rest the land. The town itself stays fairly calm, but traffic and rooms across the area are stretched.

Spring and summer are best for walking. The abbey keeps longer hours in summer, the Chalice Well gardens are in bloom, and evenings on the Tor stay light until late. Autumn mists settle on the Levels and leave the Tor standing above them, which is when the Isle of Avalon name makes most sense.

Winter has its own draw on the wetlands just west of town. Ham Wall National Nature Reserve, part of the Avalon Marshes, draws huge flocks of starlings that wheel over the reed beds at dusk, and the Brue Valley lanes are good for birdwatching. Days are short and paths muddy, so bring boots.