Sights in St David's (Ty Ddewi)
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
St David's Cathedral
Hidden in a hollow and behind high walls, St David's Cathedral is intentionally unassuming. The valley site was chosen in the vain hope that the church would be overlooked by Viking raiders, but it was ransacked at least seven times. Yet once you pass through the gatehouse that separates it from the town and its stone walls come into view, it's as imposing as any of its contemporaries.
Built on the site of a 6th-century chapel, the building dates mainly from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Extensive works were carried out in the 19th century by Sir George Gilbert Scott (architect of the Albert Memorial and St Pancras in London) to stabilise the building. The distinctive we…
reviewed
-
B
Bishop's Palace
Across the river from the cathedral, this atmospheric ruined palace was begun at the same time as the cathedral, but its final, imposing form owes most to Henry de Gower, bishop from 1327 to 1347.
Its most distinctive feature is the arcaded parapet that runs around the courtyard, decorated with a chequerboard pattern of purple and yellow stone blocks. The corbels that support the arches are richly adorned with a menagerie of carved figures – lions, monkeys, dogs and birds, as well as grotesque mythical creatures and human heads.
The palace courtyard provides a spectacular setting for open-air plays in summer.
reviewed
-
C
Holy Trinity Chapel
In a recess in the Holy Trinity Chapel at the east end of the cathedral is the object of all those religious pilgrimages - a simple oak casket that contains the bones of St David and St Justinian. The chapel ceiling is distinguished by superb fan vaulting dating from the early 16th century.
Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd, the greatest of the princes of South Wales, and his son Rhys Gryg are known to be buried in the cathedral, although their effigies in the south choir aisle date only from the 14th century. Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis), an early rector of the cathedral, is said to be buried here; there is a gravestone, but scholars suggest he is buried at Lincolnshire Cat…
reviewed
-
D
Porth y Twr
Walking from the town centre into the cathedral precinct you pass through the 13th-century gatehouse of Porth y Twr, which houses an exhibition about St David and the cathedral. There are some interesting carved stones here, notably the 11th-century Abraham Stone, carved with Celtic interlace designs, which once marked the grave of Hedd and Isaac, sons of Bishop Abraham who was murdered by Viking invaders in 1080.
reviewed
-
St Non's Bay
Immediately south of St Davids is this ruggedly beautiful spot, named after St David's mother and traditionally accepted as his birthplace. A path leads down to the 13th-century ruins of St Non's Chapel. Only the base of the walls remains, along with a stone marked with a cross within a circle, believed to date from the 7th century. Standing stones in the surrounding field suggest that the chapel may have been built within an ancient pagan stone circle.
On the approach to the ruins is a pretty little holy well. The spring is said to have emerged at the moment of the saint's birth and the water is believed to have curative powers.
Nearby, the Catholic Chapel of Our Lady and …
reviewed
-
Ramsey Island
Ramsey Island lies off the headland to the west of St Davids, ringed by dramatic sea cliffs and an offshore armada of rocky islets and reefs. The island is an RSPB reserve famous for its large breeding population of choughs – members of the crow family with glossy black feathers and distinctive red bills and legs – and for its grey seals.
You can reach the island by boat from the tiny harbour at St Justinian's, 2 miles west of St Davids. Longer boat trips run up to 20 miles offshore, to the edge of the Celtic Deep, to spot whales, porpoises and dolphins. What you'll see depends on the weather and the time of year: July to September are the best months. Porpoises are se…
reviewed
-
E
Oriel y Parc
Occupying a bold, semicircular, environmentally friendly building on the edge of town, Oriel y Parc (Landscape Gallery) is a winning collaboration between the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and the National Museum Wales. Not only does it function as a tourist office and national park visitor centre, but it houses changing exhibitions from the museum's art collection.
reviewed
