Mystical UK town divided over bid for coveted unique title

The stunning view in Glastonbury, looking towards the historic Glastonbury Tor in Somerset, UK.
-Credit:Getty Images/iStockphoto


Could Glastonbury be a World Heritage site?

We all know and love Glastonbury, there is no question about that. People in Somerset are proud to call the home of the most famous music festival in the world their own.

But there is a lot more to this mystical, unique town in our midst, ancient history, myths, legends, it is famously and wildly spiritual with lots of talk of druids, witches and spellbinding stories and literature.

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It is a hotbed of creativity and art and it is unique to Somerset. It is famous for its unique shops selling anything from bodily healing, spiritual enlightenment, crystals, beads and incense.

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We all love our Glastonbury, we really do, but should it become a Unesco World Heritage Site? People at the town council think so and a campaign to place the town in the running for World Heritage status is gaining pace.

At a full council meeting on Tuesday, January 14 a special working group was formed to push the bid so things are getting serious, despite opposition from some locals who feel it would ruin the town with even more tourists and commercial shops and restaurants.

Glastonbury is a unique place, but is it up there with the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, the Pyramids of ancient Egypt, the Galapagos Islands, Rome? The town council is making an argument to the Unesco committee to consider Glastonbury as a ‘tentative bid’ for the coveted title.

A general view of the pyramid area where visitors travel by camels near the Great Pyramid of Giza -Credit:Anadolu via Getty Images
A general view of the pyramid area where visitors travel by camels near the Great Pyramid of Giza -Credit:Anadolu via Getty Images

To be included places of interest have to have significant cultural or historical value. Glastonbury has its famous Abbey and Tor which are already huge tourist attractions.

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The town council is arguing the town’s monuments have potentially ‘outstanding universal value to humanity’. That might be a tough one to get across.

We all know Glastonbury is a beautiful and very special place, but is it really of ‘outstanding universal value to humanity?’ Some people in the town are not happy with the town council’s campaign to put Glastonbury on the World Heritage map.

A petition has been set up by campaigner Amanda Gizidis who is very much against the move as are her followers on Facebook. At the time of going to print 1,128 people had signed the petition, they feel World Heritage Status would ruin their home town.

Ms Gizidis says on her FB page: “There is nowhere like Glastonbury. You can walk down the high street and experience an alternative festival atmosphere with tarot readers, musicians, dancers and chalk artists. The town is more than just a small Somerset town, it is vibrant, warm, friendly, accepting and overflowing with creativity.”

-Credit:PA
-Credit:PA

Over tourism is a problem in many famous places and this, protestors argue, is a real threat to the spirit of Glastonbury. Despite the online protest, the bid to have the town considered for approval is hotting up, and now the council is looking for local people to join the 16- strong working committee, which will be made up of 12 members of the public and four councillors.

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A spokesman for Glastonbury town council said: “The Town Council hopes that interested members of the public will apply to be on this new working group to discuss, debate, and disseminate relevant information – lending their passion, expertise, and critical thinking to this process and its impacts for our community. “Applications can be received by email to world.heritage@glastonbury.gov.uk by 5pm on 31 January.”

It will be interesting to see how many people apply. Meanwhile the campaign against the move is also gaining pace, and protesters are encouraging more people in the town to sign the petition.