The Tribunal, Glastonbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Tribunal |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Glastonbury |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°8′51.58″N 2°43′1.68″W / 51.1476611°N 2.7171333°W |
| Construction started | 15th century |
| Completed | 16th century |
The Tribunal is a very old building in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. It was built a long time ago, in the 15th century, as a home for a rich merchant. Today, it is a special protected building known as a Grade I listed building, which means it's very important and needs to be preserved.
This historic building has been used for many different things over the years. It was once a merchant's house, a shop, a school, and even a convent. People used to think it was a court where trials happened, which is why it's called "The Tribunal." However, there's no real proof that court cases ever took place here.
The Tribunal is now looked after by English Heritage, a group that cares for historic places. Inside, you'll find the Glastonbury Antiquarian Society's museum. This museum displays amazing objects found in Glastonbury and from an ancient settlement called the Glastonbury Lake Village. The museum opened in May 2022 and is run by volunteers. It's usually open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Good news for kids: children under 18 can visit for free!
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History of The Tribunal
The name "Tribunal" came from a mistake! People once thought this building was where the Abbey's courts were held, which dealt with local laws. This idea might have started in a book from 1791. Later, in 1826, someone tried to find out where the name came from but couldn't. It was also wrongly believed to be the place where famous trials happened after a rebellion called the Monmouth Rebellion.
The building you see today was mostly built in the 15th century. It stands on the spot where a wooden building from the 12th century once stood. In the 16th century, a new front wall was added to the building. Some people think the stone and windows for this new front might have come from a ruined part of the Abbey itself.
Look closely above the main door, and you'll see the royal arms and a Tudor rose. These are old symbols from the time of the Tudor kings and queens. It's possible that the building was used as a place for travelers or sick people around the early 1700s. Later, in the late 1700s, it was definitely used as a "commercial school for young gentlemen." Today, English Heritage looks after The Tribunal, and it's managed by a local group called Glastonbury Antiquarians Ltd.
What The Building Looks Like
The Tribunal has two main rooms and a kitchen on the ground floor. A staircase connects these to the living areas upstairs. The front room downstairs might have been a shop a long time ago. After the new front wall was added in the 16th century, it was no longer used for selling goods. This front room has special arched areas on either side of the fireplace. The back room on the ground floor was once the main hall. It still has its original 16th-century ceiling panels and a window with four sections. The ceiling also has cool plaster decorations from the Elizabethan era, which was when the kitchen was added.
The wooden stairs leading upstairs replaced older stone steps. You can still see parts of the old stone staircase sticking out of the walls! The front room upstairs used to be divided into smaller spaces, but it became one large room when the new front wall was built. Its roof has special arched wooden supports called trusses. The back room upstairs still has parts of a large fireplace, but its chimney was blocked when a new fireplace was put in downstairs.
Glastonbury Museum at the Tribunal
Today, The Tribunal is home to the Glastonbury Museum at the Tribunal. This museum is filled with amazing objects from the town of Glastonbury and from a very old place called the Glastonbury Lake Village. The Lake Village was an Iron Age settlement, which means it existed thousands of years ago. It was a "crannog" – a village built on a man-made island! The objects from this village were kept in excellent condition because they were preserved in the wet peat soil after the village was left empty.
The Glastonbury Lake Village was located on the Somerset Levels, about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Glastonbury. It was built around 300 BC and was used until about 100 AD, when people might have left because the water levels rose. The village was built on a swampy area using a base of wood, branches, rocks, and clay. About 100 people lived there in groups of houses, each for a large family. The houses were made of hazel and willow branches covered with reeds. Sometimes, a wooden fence called a palisade surrounded the village. At its busiest, it might have had 15 houses and up to 200 people.
Some of the cool things you can see at the museum include the metal "Glastonbury Bowl." This bowl was made from two pieces joined together and was repaired many times. The bottom part is from the Iron Age, and the top part was added later, around the 1st century. Other items from the village include a clay tube used with bellows (a tool for blowing air), whetstones for sharpening tools, iron knives, and special iron bars that were used like money. You can also see some original storage jars that were put back together by Arthur Bulleid, who first found the site in 1892. In the old Tudor kitchen at the back of the building, there's even an Iron Age log canoe that was found near the Lake Village!
The museum is run by Glastonbury Antiquarians Ltd., for the Glastonbury Antiquarians Society.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Mendip
