This venerable cathedral is set in a hollow near the River Taff, on the site of a 6th-century monastery founded by St Teilo, a leading figure in early Welsh Christianity. The present building was begun in 1120, but it crumbled throughout the Middle Ages, and during the Reformation and Civil War was used as an alehouse and then an animal shelter. It was largely rebuilt in the 19th century, and then repaired again following a German bombing raid in 1941.
The towers at the western end epitomise the cathedral's fragmented history – one was built in the 15th century, the other in the 19th. Inside, a giant arch supports Sir Jacob Epstein's huge aluminum sculpture Majestas, its modern style a bold contrast in this gracious, vaulted space. Pre-Raphaelite fans will appreciate the Burne-Jones reredos (screen) in St Dyfrig's chapel and the stained glass by Rossetti and William Morris' company.
Medieval effigies recline beneath tattered and tasselled Union flags, St Teilo's tomb is located on the south side of the sanctuary, and other signs of early Christianity – a Celtic cross near the chapter-house door and St Teilo's Well on the Cathedral Close approach to the holy building – are visible.
Cathedral clocked, you might fancy a mooch and a bite to eat around the pleasant village of Llandaff. Buses 25, 61 and 63 head here every 15 minutes from Westgate St in the city center.
