Tithe Barn

On the way back from seeing Jann, yesterday, the Minx and I stopped off at The Crown in Pilton for a drink. The pub was so nice that we decided to come back for lunch, today.

The walk there took us past The Tolpuddle Fire, a small area set up by Michael Eavis to celebrate The Tolpuddle Martyrs, which included members of his own family. I have to say, I felt a twinge of irony at this; whereas the Glastonbury Festival event is pretty diverse in my experience, the family camping site at Worthy Farm is largely devoid of the working class or, indeed, pretty much anyone who isn't white.

Anyway, on to the pub. We timed our arrival perfectly as the heavens opened and we took shelter in a roofed area of the garden. (The pub appears to have only recently been reopened and the inside is still in the process of being renovated.) We ordered some food and drinks, opened our books, and spent an enjoyable afternoon, there. The food was great and when the sun reappeared we moved down to sit at a table under a tree. It was blissful!

On the way back we stopped at Pilton Tithe Barn, which, according to the Glastonbury website, was built in the 12th century but "was wrecked by fire in the 1950s. But it was stunningly restored in 2005 thanks to a grant of £400,000 from English Heritage, alongside a further £100,000 from Glastonbury Festival".

We went in via the open side door and found ourselves in a huge, wonderful space. (In fact, I was mildly alarmed by Michael Eavis's statement that he used to play in the rafters; it's very high!) There was a fire burning in the centre of the barn and, judging by the pile of ashes underneath it, this is regularly lit.

We sat in there for a while, speculating as to what it gets used for, and then headed back for our last night at the camp, which we spent sitting at our own fire.