Introduction
If you’re looking for a guide to photographing Glastonbury Tor, you’ve come to the right place. Much like Clifton Suspension Bridge is the iconic Bristol landmark, Glastonbury Tor is the same for Somerset — and arguably one of the most photogenic and atmospheric locations in the entire South West of England.
I grew up in Somerset, just a short drive from the Tor, and some of my all-time favourite mornings out with a camera have been spent either up on the Tor itself, or looking back at it from one of the many brilliant viewpoints dotted across the surrounding landscape. It never gets old — and it looks different every single time.
In this guide, I’ll cover the best spots to photograph Glastonbury Tor from, the best times of year to visit, and a few practical tips to make the most of your trip.
About Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor is a hill in the Somerset town of Glastonbury, topped by the roofless St Michael’s Tower — the remains of a 14th century church. Rising to around 158 metres, it can be seen from a huge chunk of Somerset, making it a photogenic subject from a remarkable number of viewpoints across the county.
The Tor is steeped in myth and legend — it has associations with King Arthur, the Holy Grail, and Celtic mythology. On a misty morning, it’s genuinely hard not to get wrapped up in all of that.
There are few places quite as atmospheric when the conditions are right.
Best time of year to photograph Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor is a year-round location, but in my experience Spring is the best time of year to visit, and here’s why.
Sunrise in May falls at a suitably early hour — early enough that you’ll have the hill almost entirely to yourself, which is a rarity. The light at sunrise in Spring is beautifully soft and golden, and most importantly, this is the time of year when the sun rises in perfect alignment with the doorway of St Michael’s Tower, creating a stunning sunburst effect if conditions allow.
Autumn and Winter are also fantastic. Mist and fog are far more common in these months, and a misty Glastonbury Tor is something truly special. The hill rising above a sea of cloud is one of those images you’ll keep coming back to try and capture. Winter also brings the starling murmurations to the Somerset Levels, which can be combined with a trip to the Tor.
Summer is the least dramatic in terms of weather, but offers long golden evenings and plenty of light to work with.
Best time of day
Sunrise is, without question, the best time to photograph Glastonbury Tor. The crowds are minimal (particularly in the early morning), the light is at its most dramatic, and if there’s any mist around, it will almost certainly be lying across the Levels in the hour or two after dawn.
I always try to arrive at a location at least 30 minutes before sunrise, so factor that in when planning your morning. Given that parking is now further from the Tor, you’ll want to be parked up well over an hour before sunrise to give yourself time for the walk up.
One thing to bear in mind is that it is actually a pretty decent location for night photography. Glastonbury has quite a bit of light pollution, but with the right angle, it works a treat for astrophotography.
Shooting from the top of the Tor
The Tor itself is of course a brilliant viewpoint. From the summit, the views are far-reaching in every direction — on a clear day you can see across the Somerset Levels, towards Exmoor, the Mendips, Brent Knoll, and even King Alfred’s Tower in the far distance.
A wide angle lens works well for shots incorporating St Michael’s Tower, while a 100-400mm telephoto is fantastic for picking out details in the landscape — isolated pockets of mist, distant hills, hot air balloons, and Brent Knoll on the horizon.
One thing to be aware of: the Tor is popular. Very popular. Even in the middle of the night I’ve arrived to find a bongo drummer providing an impromptu soundtrack. The early morning, particularly in Spring and Autumn, is your best bet for a quieter experience.
Parking note: the roadside parking near the north gate of the hill was closed some time ago. You now need to park closer to the town and walk up — it’s not far, but make sure you factor this into your timings, especially if you’re aiming for the first light of sunrise.
Best locations to photograph Glastonbury Tor from
Some of the most spectacular Glastonbury Tor images aren’t taken from the top — they’re taken from viewpoints across the Somerset Levels and Mendips, looking back at the Tor rising above the mist. Here are my favourite spots.
Wearyall Hill
This long, narrow ridge lies just to the west of Glastonbury, giving an elevated position that’s perfect for a sunrise looking back towards the Tor. It’s also a great spot for a moonrise, depending on timings, and close enough to the Tor to get there quickly if conditions suddenly improve. A great first stop if you want to warm up before heading up the Tor itself.
Walton Hill, Street
The large village of Street lies around 2 miles from Glastonbury, and the elevated position at Walton Hill offers one of the best medium-to-long range views of the Tor going. There’s a convenient car park right next to the field, and the view of the Tor is immediate — making this one of the easiest photo outings in Somerset. On a misty morning with the Tor poking above the cloud, it is absolutely stunning. It’s also a great spot if you’re going for a sun line-up…
Deer Leap, Mendips
About 20 minutes’ drive from Glastonbury, Deer Leap is one of my favourite spots for a wide view of the Somerset Levels with the Tor in the distance. Park at the top and walk down the hill for around 10 minutes — you’ll find a field with standing stones which make a brilliant foreground element, with the Levels and the Tor as a backdrop. Just watch out for the resident cows. On a misty morning this location is exceptional.
Crook Peak, Mendips
One of the highest points in the Mendips, Crook Peak is worth the climb for the panoramic views alone — and Glastonbury Tor is easily identifiable from the summit with a telephoto lens. I regularly use the 400mm end of my 100-400mm here to isolate the Tor and the surrounding landscape. You can also see as far as Exmoor and even the Brecon Beacons on a clear day. The walk up takes around 30-45 minutes from the car park at the bottom — well worth it.
Brent Knoll
This 137m hill sits on the Somerset Levels alongside the M5 motorway and is a well-known landmark in its own right. The views from the summit towards Glastonbury Tor are excellent, with the wide flat expanse of the Levels in between — perfect for a misty morning when the landscape fills with cloud and the Tor rises above it. A good telephoto is essential here.
Ham Wall
The marshland nature reserves at Ham Wall, Shapwick Heath, and Westhay Moor are outstanding for wildlife photography, but also offer some wonderful low-level views of the Tor across the flat landscape. In Winter, you can combine a visit with the extraordinary starling murmurations at sunset. It’s also a brilliant location for a misty dawn, with the Tor visible in the distance across the reeds and open water.
the Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels themselves are worth mentioning as a location in their own right. Getting down low on the Levels — whether that’s pulling over on one of the quiet drove roads or finding a spot by one of the many rhynes and drainage ditches — puts you at the same level as the mist, rather than above it, which gives a completely different and often more dramatic perspective on the Tor. A long lens is your friend here; the Tor sits on the horizon with nothing but flat, open landscape between you and it, and on a misty morning that compression can produce extraordinary results. The flooded winter fields, the willow-lined rhynes, and the ancient pollarded trees that dot the Levels all make for brilliant foreground interest too. It’s a slower, more exploratory way to shoot — drive the lanes, stop when something catches your eye, and let the landscape come to you.
Beacon Hill Wood
This Woodland Trust beech and Scots pine woodland sits on a prominent ridge at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, and the elevated position makes it a rewarding location for views across the Somerset Levels towards Glastonbury Tor. On a misty morning, the combination of the woodland itself and the distant Tor in the valley below is something rather special — and the wood has plenty to offer in its own right too, with ancient Bronze Age burial mounds, a standing stone, and woodland that comes alive with bluebells in Spring. There is parking at the site, making it a straightforward visit, and it pairs well with a stop at nearby Deer Leap or Ebbor Gorge (which has a great view of the Tor from the very top) if you’re making a morning of it in this part of the Mendips.
Bruton
Now this is a bit of a leftfield option. It is absolutely miles away, so a very long lens is really needed here. There are a number of hills surrounding Bruton, which along with views of King Alfred’s Tower, look the opposite way – towards Glastonbury Tor. You’ll need the right conditions here…
Practical tips
Get there early. The best light — and the best mist — is in the first hour after dawn. The crowds come later. The magic doesn’t hang around.
Check the forecast obsessively. A misty Glastonbury Tor is one of the great sights of English landscape photography, but mist is notoriously unpredictable. I use multiple weather apps and keep a close eye on temperature and dew point the night before. When conditions look right, it’s worth setting that alarm.
Bring a telephoto as well as a wide angle. Whether you’re shooting from the summit or from a distant viewpoint, the ability to compress the landscape and isolate the Tor is invaluable. I regularly switch between a wide angle and a 100-400mm during a single shoot.
Allow time for the walk. The car park situation has changed in recent years — park in town and walk up, and factor this into your timings. Arriving flustered is not a great way to start a sunrise shoot.
Visit in multiple seasons. The Tor looks completely different in every season, and every visit teaches you something new about the light, the angles, and the conditions. It’s one of those locations you genuinely never tire of.
Fine art prints of Glastonbury Tor
If you’d like to purchase a fine art print of Glastonbury Tor from my collection, please visit my print shop. I have a range of images of the Tor and the surrounding Somerset Levels, printed on 300gsm Somerset Photo fine art paper using archival pigment inks.
Have I missed anything?
If you have a favourite spot for photographing Glastonbury Tor that I haven’t mentioned, I’d love to hear about it — drop a comment below!
And if you found this guide useful, you might also enjoy my guides to the best photography locations in Somerset and how to photograph mist and fog.
