Tours of Glastonbury guided by the trees.
Glastonbury Tree walks are led by local tree enthusiast Matt Witt. He offers guided tree walks that combine practical tree knowledge with elements of local history, creative spoken word, story telling, and interludes of nature inspired poetry and music. Matt also leads official tree tours at Glastonbury Abbey, and, for those wanting to explore Avalon and its trees in more depth, private tours of Glastonbury can be booked at any time.
The Walks
Private Tree Walks and Tours
A tour of Glastonbury Guided by The Trees.
For those seeking a personalised tree walk experience, private walks can be tailored to individuals, couples, and groups. These are bespoke tours perfect as retreat activities, and social meet-ups, or for those seeking to orientate to Glastonbury’s key sites of interest.
As we meander through the lanes, hollows, and combes of Avalon, we encounter areas of outstanding natural beauty, explore hidden gems just off the main tourist path, while also orientating ourselves to Glastonbury’s main sites of interest. Matt talks us through the landscape introducing our companions on this adventure, Glastonbury’s venerable trees.
Matt leads a ***** 5-star rated tour of Glastonbury that is “Highly Recommended” on TripAdvisor.
Public Tree Walks
Join Matt for a weekly walk To The Trees.
Held weekly during the high season (Apr-Nov) in Glastonbury. These gentle walks are guided through the lanes of Glastonbury, meeting prominent trees along the way. As we walk, Matt shares his knowledge of trees, intertwining his creative approach to nature with botany and tree identification, ecology, and folklore, while offering interludes of spoken word, poetry and music that highlight his very personal relationship with the land. These walks are £10pp – contact Matt to book.
Abbey Tree Tours
Explore the trees of Glastonbury Abbey.
Having authored Glastonbury Abbey’s official tree guide, Matt leads guided walks through the grounds, introducing key trees and punctuating the tour with offerings of tree inspired poetry. These walks take place twice a month from March to November. Dates and tickets are available on the Glastonbury Abbey website.
Tree Identification Workshops and Tuition
For those who wish to deepen their connection with trees, these workshops offer an immersive, hands-on approach to learning. Ideal for individuals, families, and home-schooling groups, these sessions teach the art of recognising trees through their bark, leaves, buds and flowers, introducing the common native species and building our repertoire through observation and repetition. Contact Matt to discuss a workshop.
For those seeking focused one-on-one guidance, Matt offers personal tree identification tuition tailored to your pace and interests. These sessions provide a deeper understanding of tree recognition, perfect for those who wish to refine their skills in the field.
Events, Talks, in person Visits, and Podcasts
Matt has guided walks at a number of events and locations including Wells, Wedmore, and Shepton as well as speaking at a number of local seminars. He also enjoys visiting retirements homes and social groups to talk about the trees. Contact Matt to discuss a visit or talk.
About Matt
Matt Witt is an artist, musician, and nature enthusiast with a particular interest in trees. Originally from Salisbury, Matt found his way to Glastonbury via London, drawn by its heritage, landscapes, unique community. He is held here by a continued dialogue and creative collaboration with the land and its arboreal residents.
Matt’s happy place is in the fields and woods being inspired by nature and translating this inspiration into nuggets of poetry and song that he shares with walkers and audiences online. To share knowledge of this landscape, its nature, and trees is, for Matt, a dream come true. The tree walks are an invitation to step into his shoes and take an adventure across a land with which he has grown intimately familiar.
Avalon is alive, and ready to collaborate with those whose senses are open. This island is an artwork that reveals more of itself the closer one looks, and uncovers more of oneself the deeper one journeys.
