Glastonbury Canal (medieval) facts for kids

The Glastonbury Canal was a very old waterway built around the middle of the 900s. It connected the River Brue near Northover with Glastonbury Abbey. This canal was about 1.75 kilometers (1.1 miles) long.

At first, people think it was used to move heavy stones for building the abbey. Later, it helped bring food like grain, wine, and fish from the abbey's farms. The canal was used for a long time, at least until the 1300s, and maybe even until the mid-1500s. Experts from English Heritage believe this old canal is very important for understanding history.

How the Canal Was Built

Modern digs by archaeologists show this was a "true canal." It was about 5 meters (16 feet) wide and 1 meter (3 feet) deep. The bottom was flat, and the sides sloped.

The canal started where it met the River Brue. This spot was already important, with a wooden walkway over the river since the 700s. For most of its path, the canal was dug through strong clay. It followed a flat line along the side of Wearyall Hill.

Near its end, close to the old market place, the soil was softer. Here, the canal banks were strengthened with wood. There might have even been a dock where boats could load and unload. Scientists used radio-carbon dating on the wood. This showed the canal was built in the 900s, or maybe a little earlier. Natural springs at this end helped keep the canal filled with water.

What the Canal Was Used For

During this time, Dunstan was the abbot (leader) of Glastonbury Abbey. He was busy rebuilding the abbey. The canal was essential for bringing in stone and other building materials. Dunstan had spent some time in Ghent, a city known for its canals. He might have learned about canal building there and used that knowledge for this new waterway. Much of the stone came from the abbey's own quarries at Doulting. It could be moved by boat using the River Sheppey near Pilton.

From the 1000s onwards, Glastonbury Abbey became the center of a big water transport system. More canals and new channels were built in the area. For example, the River Brue was moved to give access to the important estate at Meare. This also made it easier to reach the Bristol Channel.

In the 1200s, records show the abbey's head boatman used the waterways. He would take the abbot in an eight-oared boat to visit the abbey's properties nearby. Pieces of pottery found in the canal's mud show it was still used in the 1300s. It's not clear exactly when it stopped being used. The northern part might have been filled in during the 1300s. However, most of the canal might have been kept open until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1500s. This was when many monasteries were closed down.

Finding the Canal Again

In 1886, a local archaeologist named John Morland wondered about the old canal. He noticed its sunken shape, which filled with water in winter, along Wearyall Hill.

Later, in 1986-1987, aerial photography was used. Then, archaeologists did "rescue archaeology" when new buildings were planned. This helped them uncover what they thought was the old dock area. In 1989, while building a roundabout, it was confirmed that an old road from 1821, now the A39, had been built using the raised bank of the canal.