In the annals of British archaeology, few figures are as divisive or as intriguing as Frederick Bligh Bond. Born in Wiltshire in 1864, Bond was not just an architect and archaeologist but also a man with one foot firmly planted in the world of the esoteric. His work at Glastonbury Abbey, arguably one of England’s most mythic sites, unearthed extraordinary discoveries. But it wasn’t his technical skill that drew attention; Bond claimed he was guided by voices from the past, literal voices conveyed through séances and the cryptic scrawls of automatic writing.
How does a man of such practical training come to place his trust in the ethereal? To understand Bond’s story is to step into a world where science brushes shoulders with the supernatural, and fact merges tantalisingly with legend.
Unearthing Glastonbury
Legends have clung to Glastonbury Abbey like ivy on its crumbling stones. Since the 12th century, stories of King Arthur and Avalon have drawn pilgrims and dreamers alike. The Abbey, they said, was the resting place of Arthur and Guinevere, claims some dismissed as a medieval marketing ploy, while others held them as sacred truth.
By the early 20th century, however, the Abbey was a shadow of its former self, little more than a skeleton of stone and myth. Enter Frederick Bligh Bond, the man tasked with peeling back centuries of ruin to uncover its hidden past. The Church of England, which owned the site, chose him for his expertise in medieval architecture, but they could not even predict the methods he would use.
The Séance Sessions
Frustrated by incomplete historical records and inconsistent maps, Bond turned to an unorthodox approach. Alongside his colleague, retired navy captain John Allan Bartlett (known as John Alleyne), Bond began conducting séances. Using automatic writing, a practice where a medium’s hand purportedly channels messages from the spirit world, the two sought guidance from beyond the grave.
Their first session in 1907 yielded a cryptic response: “All knowledge is eternal and is available to mental sympathy.” For nearly 70 séances, they claimed to communicate with the spirit of a monk named Johannes and other long-deceased builders of the Abbey. These spectral voices, Bond insisted, provided precise details about the Abbey’s layout, including the location of the lost Edgar Chapel.
The results were startling when Bond finally received permission to excavate in 1908. His team uncovered the chapel exactly where Johannes had indicated. Bond’s success seemed almost too good to be true.
Paranormal Claims and Controversies
Bond’s revelations were published in 1919 in The Gates of Remembrance, a book that chronicled the séances and their role in his discoveries. Here, Bond proposed a bold theory: the existence of a “cosmic record,” or collective unconscious, where all human knowledge resides and can be accessed through psychic means. He believed that Johannes and the other spirits were intermediaries to this universal memory.
The reaction was swift and polarising. Sceptics like Rev. H. J. Wilkins dismissed the claims outright, arguing that Bond’s findings could be explained through conventional means. Critics pointed out that Bond, a scholar of medieval architecture, likely pieced together his discoveries from his expertise, aided by visible ruins and historical documents. Kenneth Feder, a modern archaeologist, echoed these sentiments, noting that early drawings of the Abbey already contained many of the details Bond claimed to have received from spirits.
Others suggested psychological explanations. The ideomotor effect, a subconscious phenomenon where individuals produce movements or writings without conscious awareness, was seen as a plausible explanation for Bond’s automatic writing sessions. Did Bond unknowingly access his knowledge, attributing it instead to spectral guidance?
For the Church of England, however, Bond’s methods were anathema. Strongly opposed to spiritualism, they dismissed him from his post in 1921, branding his work as necromancy at a sacred site.
Legacy in Haunted Landscapes
Frederick Bligh Bond’s legacy is a puzzle. On one hand, his discoveries transformed our understanding of Glastonbury Abbey’s architecture. On the other, his reliance on séances overshadowed his achievements, leaving him shunned by the archaeological establishment. Was he a cunning opportunist who dramatised his methods for fame or a sincere man who genuinely believed in the guidance of spectral voices?
One thing is sure: Bond’s story forces us to reconsider the boundaries of historical inquiry. The haunting beauty of Glastonbury Abbey remains, its ruins a reminder that history is as much about imagination as it is about evidence. Whether Bond accessed a “cosmic record” or drew upon his subconscious brilliance, his work invites us to think differently about how we uncover the past.
Conclusion: Fact, Fiction, or Both?
Frederick Bligh Bond’s work at Glastonbury Abbey remains an enigma. His discoveries are undeniable, yet the methods he claimed to have used defy traditional archaeological practice. Whether guided by spirits, subconscious insights, or sheer intuition, Bond’s story underscores the complexity of history itself, a blend of fact, interpretation, and the human desire to uncover the unknown.
Like Bond’s legacy, the Abbey continues to inspire curiosity and debate. It is a reminder that history is not just a record of what was but a canvas where imagination and reality intertwine. In this light, Bond’s spectral excavations are less a tale of ghosts and more a story of humanity’s relentless quest to connect with its past.
References
French, Chris. “The Mystery of Glastonbury Abbey.” The Skeptic, 11 July 2022.
Hopkinson-Ball, Tim. The Rediscovery of Glastonbury: Frederick Bligh Bond, Architect of the New Age.
Bond, Frederick Bligh. The Gates of Remembrance. 1919.
Atlas Obscura. “Psychic Archaeology, or How to Dig Up the Dead with Their Own Advice.” 22 February 2016.
“Frederick Bligh Bond.” Wikipedia Entry. Accessed 2023.
Robinson, Tony. The Ghosts of Glastonbury Abbey. Channel 4 Documentary, 2008.
Feder, Kenneth. Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology.
Wilkins, H.J. “Criticism of Bligh Bond’s Psychical Claims.” 1922.
