Things to do in St David's (Ty Ddewi)
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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…
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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.
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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…
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Walks
You can put together coastal walks of all lengths starting from Caerfai Bay, three-quarters of a mile south of town, and following the coastal path to Porthclais (2 miles), St Justinian (6.5 miles) or Whitesands Bay (8.5 miles), returning to town on the Celtic Coaster bus.
The section from Porthclais to St Justinian is especially fine, with wild coastal scenery, plenty of wildlife (look out for seals, porpoises, sparrowhawks, choughs, gannets and cormorants) and views across turbulent Ramsey Sound to Ramsey Island.
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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.
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Guided Tours
You'll need at least half a day to do justice to St David's Cathedral. In July and August there are 90-minute guided tours at 14:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; at other times, tours can be arranged in advance. The one led by the dean himself, a history and archaeology scholar, is recommended.
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Morgan's Brasserie
An elegant and intimate spot, with clean modern lines and an air of big-city sophistication, Morgan's turns out quality cuisine with a French touch, including local seafood specials and some gourmet vegetarian choices (how about leek and parsnip steamed pudding with herb and truffle gravy?).
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Refectory at St David's
Part of the ongoing restoration of the cathedral cloister, this stylish modern café has a lunch menu with a choice of sandwiches and hot dishes (at least two vegetarian dishes), as well as excellent coffee and home-baking. Grab a table upstairs with a view of the cloister and garden.
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Cwtch
Stone walls and wooden beams mark this out as a sense-of-occasion place, as indeed does the price, yet there's a snugness that lives up to its name (cwtch means a cosy place or a cuddle). There's an emphasis on local produce, so expect plenty of fresh seafood on the menu.
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Pebbles Yard Espresso Bar
A cute little space, with butter-yellow walls, worn pine floors and basketwork chairs, this café is the place to read the papers over a cappuccino, or tuck into cakes and cream teas. Art on the walls, and cool tunes on the sound system.
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Cartref Restaurant
A big barn of a place on the main square, the Cartref is a good family-friendly choice, with highchairs and kids menus, and plenty of choice for vegetarians. The food is hearty, mainstream stuff such as lasagne, burgers, steak pie etc.
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Cycle Hire Pembrokeshire
There is pleasant cycling on minor roads around the peninsula - the Celtic Way cycle route passes through St David's - but no off-road action (the coast path is for walkers only). You can rent bikes from Cycle Hire Pembrokeshire .
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St David's Cycle Hire
There is pleasant cycling on minor roads around the peninsula - the Celtic Way cycle route passes through St David's - but no off-road action (the coast path is for walkers only). You can rent bikes from St David's Cycle Hire.
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Farmer's Arms
One of the most popular pubs in the town, the Farmers has real ale and Guinness on tap and a good beer garden out back. It's a pleasant place to watch the sun go down on a summer's evening.
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Chapel Chocolates
Chocoholics beware - the shelves in this shop are stacked floor to ceiling with more than 100 varieties of hand-made Welsh chocolates, truffles and other confectionery.
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TYF Adventure
TYF Adventure organises coasteering, surfing, sea kayaking and rock-climbing trips, charging around £45/around £85 for a half-day/full day.
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Pebbles Yard Gallery
This dinky little gallery sells works by local artists, as well as funky contemporary jewellery, handicrafts and creative toys for kids.
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Ma Sime's Surf Hut
Ma Sime's Surf Hut rents wetsuits, surfboards and body boards, and can arrange surf lessons with Whitesands Surf School.
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St David's Food & Wine
Stock up on picnic supplies at this delicatessen, which specialises in local organic produce.
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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 …
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St Davids Food & Wine
Stock up on picnic supplies at this delicatessen, which specialises in local organic produce.
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Sampler
Named after the embroidery samples blanketing the walls, this may be the perfect exemplar of the traditional Welsh tearoom. Pembrokeshire clotted cream tea comes served with freshly baked scones and bara brith (a rich, fruit tea-loaf), and there are Welsh cheese platters, jacket potatoes, soups and sandwiches.
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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…
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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.
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