Not wishing to be outdone by Longleat Enterprises whose plan for an Alpine style Cheddar Gorge cable car that is already garnering praise from locals, the intrepid people of Glastonbury have come up with heir own idea for a hydro-powered cable car (funicular) to transport visitors up and down the Glastonbury Tor.

The Tor is one of the most famous landmarks in Somerset if not the whole of the West Country, and has a huge spiritual significance for many, and the local green party which is backing the project believes that the funicular is one of the most energy-efficient forms of transport there is, making this an ideal project for the environmentally friendly folk of our town.   

With water being supplied by the sacred Chalice Well spring at the foot of the Tor, there is no danger of the system running out of power, as the well, which has been in constant use for around 2000 years, delivers 25,000 gallons a day and has never failed, even when there has been a severe drought.  And of course the Tor/Chalice Well complex formed an important sacred site in the prehistoric period, so the unique relationship between the two can be rekindled here.

The aptly named Avril Thurst from the National Trust who own the land and are co-ordinating the project with Glastonbury’s Cable Co. stated "The funicular is ideal really.  Most of the power required to pull the ascending car 160 metres up the south east scarp slope of the Tor will be delivered by the counterweight of the descending car, and the aim of the Glastonbury project is to have a system exclusively powered by water and gravity, and with each car designed to hold sixteen people, with guaranteed funding from the postcode lottery we think that by charging just £1.04 per passenger we will soon be able to recoup the construction costs of around £4 million".  

The Tor is of course a magnet for visitors due to the rich history associated with all manner of bearded men that continue to draw pilgrims including Joseph of Arimathea, King Arthur, Saint Duncan and Michael Eavis and the plans for the scheme can currently be viewed at the Rural Life Museum.

What do you think of the Cable Car idea?  Let us know below.

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