Glastonbury Abbey: The Wealthiest Monastery in England
Glastonbury Abbey was the wealthiest monastery in England at the time of the Norman Conques t in 1066 AD and remained one of most powerful and influential institutions right up until the dissolution of monasteries in 1536-1541 under King Henry VIII. Glastonbury had long enjoyed the patronage and protection of the English monarchy, as well as national and international fame through its association with prominent saints such as St Patrick and St Gildas .
Glastonbury was also one of the oldest religious sites in all of Britain. Archaeological digs at Glastonbury in the 1960s conducted by Ralegh Radford revealed evidence of possibly early Christian or pre-Christian activity dating back to the 6th century AD, suggesting it had been a sacred site for many hundreds of years. Radford’s finds would also seem to substantiate claims made by the Glastonbury religious community that it was the “birthplace of Christianity” in En