Frederick Bligh Bond

author

Frederick Bligh Bond

1864–1945

Best known for his work at Glastonbury Abbey, this English architect and archaeologist became a memorable figure for combining careful excavation with a deep interest in psychical research. His life and writing sit at a curious meeting point of history, religion, and the supernatural.

1 Audiobook

The Gate of Remembrance The Story of the Psychological Experiment which Resulted in the Discovery of the Edgar Chapel at Glastonbury

The Gate of Remembrance The Story of the Psychological Experiment which Resulted in the Discovery of the Edgar Chapel at Glastonbury

by Frederick Bligh Bond

About the author

Born in Marlborough in 1864, Frederick Bligh Bond trained as an architect and went on to build a reputation in ecclesiastical design, illustration, and archaeology. He is especially associated with Glastonbury Abbey, where he directed excavations in the early 20th century and helped uncover long-lost structures connected with the medieval site.

What makes Bond especially unusual is that his archaeological work became tied to his interest in psychical research. He later argued that some discoveries at Glastonbury had been guided by automatic writing and communications he believed came from departed monks. That claim made him a controversial and much-discussed figure, admired by some for his imagination and challenged by others for mixing spiritualism with scholarship.

Beyond the debates, Bond remains an intriguing historical character: a working architect, a serious investigator of the past, and a writer drawn to mysteries that conventional history could not easily explain. He died in 1945, but his name still comes up wherever archaeology, mysticism, and Glastonbury’s legends meet.