The completed Glastonbury Abbey Yard, a revitalised visitor entrance, Café and Gift Shop for the internationally renowned Glastonbury Abbey, will be unveiled to the public on Thursday 10th April.
From 10am on the 10th April, visitors will be able to step through the original entrance gates and experience the brand new Glastonbury Abbey Yard, including the Yard Café, Gift Shop and Admissions, all centred around an attractive open-air meeting space. Also open to visitors will be the 16th-century St. Patrick’s Chapel, now free to access for all to enjoy.
A private launch event on the afternoon of the 10th will then see the official opening of the Glastonbury Abbey Yard, with speeches from representatives of the Glastonbury Town Deal Board, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Glastonbury Abbey.
Speaking on behalf of the Glastonbury Town Deal Board, Lynne Sedgmore said:
“The Abbey Yard is a beautiful new space in the centre of town. Do come and experience it for yourself. I thank everyone involved in creating such a successful outcome and I look forward to the opening day. This is the second Town Deal project to complete on time.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating the completion of the newly-named Glastonbury Abbey Yard. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the space has been transformed for the local community, creating the perfect gateway for people to learn about the fascinating heritage of Glastonbury Abbey. Heritage has an important role in bringing our communities together, installing a sense of pride of place and boosting the local economy and this project is a great example of this.”
Glastonbury Abbey’s Director and project lead, Janet Bell MBE, said:
“We’re very excited to unveil the Glastonbury Abbey Yard and this new phase for the abbey. I hope that this space we have created will foster an even stronger connection between the abbey and the people of Glastonbury, as well as with our visitors from all over the world.”
The Glastonbury Abbey Yard covers an area which, in the medieval period, was the bustling Inner Court (or Broad Court) where pilgrims received charity and hospitality. In later periods, the Yard changed use several times to include an inn and farm buildings before being restored in 1909 to its original purpose as a space to welcome the abbey’s visitors.
In October 2023, work began on transforming the space once again as Glastonbury Abbey’s Town Deal project got underway. The Yard project has revitalised the abbey’s entrance, creating a visitor experience in keeping with the abbey’s international importance as an archaeological, spiritual and cultural site.
As the Glastonbury Abbey Yard is prepared for its official opening this coming week, there will be some changes to the abbey’s opening hours. The abbey will close to visitors from 3:15pm on Tuesday 8th April and remain closed on Wednesday 9th April, before re-opening at 10am on Thursday 10th April. It will then close at 3pm on Thursday for the official opening ceremony.
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The Glastonbury Abbey Yard project is part of the Glastonbury Town Deal funded by the UK Government and has been made possible thanks to additional funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Headley Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and Benefact Trust.
