Visions of Albion: Ancient landscapes, Glastonbury and alternative forms of nationalism

Nationalist visions are often connected with a cult of the land. This article considers some of the cultural-nationalist ideas linked to the Somerset town of Glastonbury, a prominent New Age centre. It discusses the legacy of British pastoralism as shown in the work of H. V. Morton and Cecil Sharp. It considers the evolution of an English-Celtic tradition, drawing on the legacy of the Arthurian legend, but being re-formulated in the late twentieth century as a vehicle for New Age conceptions of British society. The article concludes by evaluating the political values inherent in the New Age.