"A hidden chapel where pilgrims have found rest for nearly a thousand years"
St Margaret's Chapel
Glastonbury, Somerset, United Kingdom
Behind a passageway on Magdalene Street, a small chapel and garden offer what Glastonbury's busier sites cannot: genuine quiet. Since the 11th century, this place has welcomed weary travelers. Today, as part of the Quiet Garden Movement, St Margaret's continues the ancient work of hospitality—not through programs or teaching, but through simple presence and stillness.
Weather & Best Time
Plan Your Visit
Save this site and start planning your journey.
Quick Facts
Location
Glastonbury, Somerset, United Kingdom
Tradition
Site Type
Coordinates
51.1449, -2.7149
Last Updated
Jan 4, 2026
The site's history spans nearly a thousand years, from an 11th-century pilgrimage hospital through medieval chapel to contemporary Quiet Garden. Queen Margaret of Scotland, according to tradition, founded the original hospital. The continuity of charitable purpose—from caring for pilgrims to housing those in need—remains unbroken.
Origin Story
According to tradition, Queen Margaret of Scotland founded the pilgrimage hospital in the 11th century. Margaret, born a princess and later queen through her marriage to King Malcolm III, was renowned throughout medieval Christendom for her personal care of the poor. She washed the feet of pilgrims with her own hands. She fed orphans from her own table. When she died in 1093, her reputation for holiness was already established, and she was formally canonized in 1250.
Whether Margaret herself established the Glastonbury hospital or whether her name became attached to an existing foundation cannot be historically verified. What can be documented is that a hospital for pilgrims existed here during the medieval period, providing care for those who had traveled to Glastonbury Abbey—one of England's most important pilgrimage destinations—but who were too sick, old, or poor to manage without help.
The hospital embodied a medieval understanding of sacred duty. Christ had identified himself with the stranger and the suffering: 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me.' To care for pilgrims was to care for Christ. The hospital did not merely house travelers; it participated in the work of salvation.
Key Figures
Queen Margaret of Scotland
Traditional founder
Mary Magdalene
Almshouse dedication
Spiritual Lineage
The lineage of St Margaret's Chapel flows through multiple streams. The medieval pilgrimage hospital belongs to the great European tradition of hospitaller care—the same spirit that built hospitals along the Camino de Santiago and throughout the routes to Rome and Jerusalem. The 1444 chapel was built under the patronage of Glastonbury Abbey, then at the height of its medieval power. The Dissolution of the Monasteries (1539) ended the abbey's authority but did not entirely sever the site's sacred purpose. The almshouses continued the charitable mission under new auspices. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the site has found new frameworks for its ancient vocation. The Quiet Garden Movement, founded in 1992, creates contemplative spaces within reach of ordinary life—not remote monasteries but gardens and chapels where busy people can find stillness. St Margaret's recognition as a Quiet Garden places it within this contemporary network while honoring its medieval roots. The 2012 restoration by the Mary & Margaret Charity renewed the physical fabric and affirmed the commitment to continuing the work of hospitality into the future.
Know a Sacred Site We Should Include?
Help us expand our collection of sacred sites. Share your knowledge and contribute to preserving the world's spiritual heritage.