Library of Avalon flood clean-up gathers pace

By Laura Linham 24th Jul 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 2 hours ago

Glastonbury's Library of Avalon is working to reopen after a flood ripped through the building and left parts of its collection, flooring and fittings damaged. The library was hit on Monday, 22 June 2026, when flood water rose through drains and entered the building.

Since then, the job has been clear: save the books, repair the building, and get the library back open. Hundreds of boxes have now been moved into storage while the charity prepares for repairs, and supporters are being asked to help through the Library of Avalon donation page.

In its latest update, the library said a specialist Flood Restoration team is now on site to help with the clear-up. The charity said the courtyard was cleared of "38+ bags of smelly wet books and other items which were irreprably damaged".

The restoration team also moved the final 250-plus boxes of books into storage in a single afternoon. The reading room has now been fully packed up, with volunteers recording book category codes on boxes so the collection can be put back in order when the building is ready.

The annexe has also been cleared so the carpet can be removed and the floor renovated.

The library said the design of their bespoke shelves protected much of the collection by keeping many of the books above this summer's flood water level.

Volunteers have been at the centre of the recovery, cleaning, packing, labelling and moving books while the building is made ready for the next stage. The library has thanked those who supported the first week of work, including 11 volunteers, eight members of the public, and local supporters including Butchers and Proper Job, which supplied cardboard boxes.

The flood caused confirmed losses including four 19th-century volumes, periodicals, pamphlets, books on Eastern Masters, a Turkish rug, a television and the electrics of four heaters. The library's flood report also said the annexe floor and carpet would need lifting and replacing.