St Asaph Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Asaph Cathedral |
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| Cathedral Church of Saints Asaph and Cyndeyrn | |
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Eglwys Gadeiriol Llanelwy
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St Asaph Cathedral from the north-west
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| 53°15′26″N 3°26′31″W / 53.25722°N 3.44194°W | |
| Location | St Asaph, Denbighshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | https://stasaphcathedral.wales/en |
| History | |
| Relics held | St Asaph |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Romanesque architecture, English Gothic architecture |
| Completed | Mid-13th century |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
The Cathedral Church of Saints Asaph and Cyndeyrn, often called St Asaph Cathedral (in Welsh: Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Llanelwy), is a famous church in St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales. It is the main church for the Bishop of St Asaph. This cathedral has a history going back 1,400 years. The building you see today was mostly built in the 13th century. It is part of the Church in Wales, which is a branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Contents
A Look Back: The Cathedral's History
How the Cathedral Began
A church was first built here by Saint Kentigern in the 6th century. Some records say Saint Elwy built it around 560 AD. Later, Saint Asa (or Asaph) took over. He was a grandson of a famous Welsh leader named Pabo Post Prydain.
Building and Rebuilding
The oldest parts of the current cathedral building are from the 13th century. The first stone cathedral was burned down by soldiers of King Edward I in 1282 during a war in Wales. After this, a new building was started. There were even ideas to move the church to Rhuddlan after an earlier war in 1277, but these plans did not happen.
Later, during the rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr, part of the cathedral was badly damaged. It stayed in ruins for about seventy years. The building we see today was mostly rebuilt during the time of Henry Tudor. It was also greatly repaired and updated in the 19th century.
Repairs and Famous Visitors
In the 1930s, the cathedral was in the news because its tower started to sink. Experts found that a hidden underground stream was causing the damage. Urgent repairs were needed and completed by 1935.
Many important people have been connected to St Asaph Cathedral. Geoffrey of Monmouth, a famous writer, was a bishop here from 1152 to 1155. However, because of wars in Wales, he probably never actually visited the cathedral.
William Morgan was also a bishop of St Asaph. He lived from 1545 to 1604. He was the first person to translate the entire Bible into the Welsh language, directly from Greek and Hebrew. His translated Bible is still on display at the cathedral today. The first Archbishop of Wales, A. G. Edwards, became Bishop of St Asaph in 1889.
In 2018, the cathedral faced financial challenges. It had to make changes to its music staff. However, the position of Director of Music was brought back in September 2019 with the appointment of Paul Booth. The choir continues to sing for services each week.
The Organ
The cathedral has a wonderful organ. You can find details about it on the National Pipe Organ Register.
People Who Played the Organ
Many talented musicians have served as organists at St Asaph Cathedral over the centuries. Here are some of them:
- John Day (started 1620)
- Abednego D. Perkins (started 1630)
- John Wilson (started 1631)
- Thomas Ottey (started 1669)
- William Key (started 1680)
- Thomas Hughes (started 1686)
- Alexander Gerard (started 1694)
- John Gerard (started 1738)
- John Jones (started 1782)
- Edward Bailey (started 1785)
- Charles Spence (started 1791)
- Henry Hayden (started 1794)
- Robert Augustus Atkins (started 1834)
- Llewellyn Lloyd (started 1889)
- Hugh Percy Allen (started 1897)
- Archibald Wayet Wilson (started 1898)
- Cyril Bradley Rootham (started 1901)
- William Edward Belcher (started 1902)
- Harold Carpenter Lumb Stocks (started 1917)
- Robert Duke Dickinson (started 1956)
- James Roland Middleton (started 1962)
- Graham John Elliott (started 1970)
- John Theodore Belcher (started 1981)
- Hugh Davies (started 1985)
- Graham Eccles (started 1998)
- Alan McGuinness (started 2004)
- Paul Booth (started 2019)
Important People Buried Here
Several important people are buried at St Asaph Cathedral or in its churchyard:
- John Owen (bishop of St Asaph) (Bishop from 1629 to 1651)
- Isaac Barrow (bishop) (Bishop from 1669 to 1680)
- William Mathias (1934–1992), a famous composer born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire.
- William Carey (bishop) (Bishop from 1830 to 1846)
- Joshua Hughes (Bishop from 1870 to 1889)
- A. G. Edwards (Bishop from 1889 to 1934 and the first Archbishop of Wales)
See also
- List of deans of St Asaph – a list of the leaders of the cathedral over time.
