Lost Buildings of Britain: Glastonbury Abbey

Architectural historian Simon Thurley is on a quest to recreate Glastonbury Abbey, which was destroyed by Henry VIII in what Simon describes as one of the most extreme acts of architectural vandalism Britain has ever seen. The remaining ruins reveal little of what was Britain's largest and richest Abbey; the stained glass alone was said to transport its many pilgrims to religious ecstasy. More than simply a place of worship, Glastonbury Abbey was a wealthy corporate business empire, with the Abbott as its powerful chief executive. It's no surprise that Henry wanted a slice of the action