One of the UK’s most recognisable landmarks has been transformed into a striking symbol of climate change, as Glastonbury Tor was illuminated in the iconic blue and red climate stripes to mark Show Your Stripes Day.
The installation saw St. Michael’s Tower, the 14th-century structure that crowns the 521-foot Glastonbury Tor in Somerset, lit up with the internationally recognised climate stripes design. The display aims to encourage conversations about climate change and its growing impact on landscapes, communities and food production across Britain.
The projection coincides with Show Your Stripes Day on 20th June, an annual campaign designed to raise awareness of rising global temperatures. It also comes as the UK experiences a period of unusually hot weather, with forecasters warning of extreme heat across parts of the country.
The climate stripes, created by Professor Ed Hawkins of the University of Reading, use a simple visual format to illustrate changes in average global temperatures since 1850. Cooler years are represented by blue stripes, while warmer years appear in red, creating a vivid timeline of the planet’s warming trend.
‘The Climate Stripes were created as a simple way of showing how temperatures have changed over time,’ said Professor Hawkins. ‘Each stripe represents a year, and together they tell the story of our warming world.’
He added that displaying the stripes on one of England’s most famous landmarks highlights the widespread impact of climate change. ‘Projecting them at Glastonbury Tor, one of England’s most iconic landmarks, is a reminder that climate change affects all of us and the places we care about.’
The installation has been staged during Glastonbury Festival’s fallow year, when the nearby festival site is resting to allow the land to recover. Organisers say the contrast is symbolic, noting that while landscapes can be given time to regenerate, climate change continues unabated.
Professor Hawkins stressed that there is still reason for optimism, saying: ‘The future isn’t fixed. Every fraction of a degree matters, and the choices we make today will influence the climate experienced by future generations.’
Keith Jones, senior climate specialist at the National Trust added: ‘Climate change is putting the UK’s natural and built heritage under more strain than ever before – and it’s essential that we act now, before the problem worsens.’
