St Davids Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Davids Cathedral |
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Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi
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St Davids Cathedral from the gatehouse (April 2008)
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| 51°52′55″N 5°16′06″W / 51.88194°N 5.26833°W | |
| Location | St Davids, Pembrokeshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic Church of England |
| History | |
| Authorising papal bull | 1123 |
| Founded | c. AD 589 |
| Founder(s) | St David |
| Consecrated | 1131 |
| Relics held | St David |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Medieval masons John Nash (18th century) George Gilbert Scott (19th century) |
| Style | Romanesque architecture, English Gothic architecture |
| Groundbreaking | 1181 |
| Completed | Mid-13th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 90 metres (300 ft) |
| Nave width | 22.5 metres (74 ft) |
| Height | 35 metres (115 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | St Davids |
St Davids Cathedral (called Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi in Welsh) is an important church in St Davids, which is the smallest city in Britain. It's located in Pembrokeshire, near the westernmost point of Wales. This cathedral has a long and interesting history, attracting visitors and pilgrims for centuries.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
How the Cathedral Began
The story of St Davids Cathedral started with Saint David himself. He founded a religious community here around the year 589. This place became famous as a center for both religion and learning. Even King Alfred of England asked for help from St Davids to improve education in his kingdom.
Over the years, the community faced many attacks, especially from Vikings. Sadly, some bishops were even killed by raiders. One important stone, called the "Abraham Stone," marks the grave of Bishop Abraham, who died in 1080. It has beautiful old Celtic symbols carved into it and you can see it today in the Cathedral Exhibition.
Important Visits and Changes
In 1081, William the Conqueror visited St Davids to pray. This showed how important and holy the place was. Later, in 1089, David's shrine was damaged and its valuable metals were stolen.
A Welsh scholar named Rhigyfarch wrote a book about David's life in 1090. This book helped David become a very respected figure.
In 1115, King Henry I of England appointed Bishop Bernard. Bishop Bernard started building a new, better cathedral. In 1123, Pope Calixtus II made St Davids a major pilgrimage site. He even said that "Two pilgrimages to St Davids is equal to one to Rome, and three pilgrimages to one to Jerusalem." The new cathedral was finished quickly and opened in 1131.
When King Henry II of England visited in 1171, even more people wanted to visit David's shrine. This meant they needed an even bigger cathedral!
Building the Current Cathedral
The cathedral you see today was started in 1181. It was completed not long after. However, the new building had some early problems. The tower collapsed in 1220, and an earthquake caused damage in 1247 or 1248.
Later, Bishop Henry de Gower (from 1328 to 1347) made more changes. He added the rood screen and built the Bishops Palace. The palace is now a beautiful ruin.
In 1365, Bishop Adam Houghton and John of Gaunt started St Mary's College and a special chapel. Bishop Houghton also added the cloister, which connects the college to the cathedral.
Bishop Edward Vaughan (from 1509 to 1522) oversaw the building of the Holy Trinity chapel. Its unique ceiling is said to have inspired the roof of King's College, Cambridge. During this time, the main part of the cathedral, called the nave, also got its roof and a new ceiling made of Irish oak.
However, Bishop Barlow later tried to stop people from worshipping David. In 1538, he removed the jewels from David's shrine and took away David's relics. In 1540, the body of Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, who was the father of King Henry VII, was moved to the cathedral and buried in front of the main altar.
During the time of Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth of England, many churches were damaged. St Davids Cathedral was almost destroyed by Cromwell's forces, and the lead was even taken from the roof of the Bishops Palace.
The Cathedral Today
You might notice that the floor of the cathedral slopes quite a bit! There's almost a four-meter difference in height between the east and west ends. The building is still moving very slightly over time.
Restoration and Rebuilding
In 1793, the architect John Nash was hired to fix the west front of the cathedral, which had been damaged. His work wasn't very strong, and within a hundred years, it became unstable.
So, between 1862 and 1870, George Gilbert Scott completely restored the building. The lady chapel was also restored in 1901, and the eastern chapels were fixed between 1901 and 1910.
In 1923, the Church in Wales, including St Davids Cathedral, became separate from the Church of England. The diocese (the area the bishop looks after) also became smaller.
In the 1950s, the Reverend Carl Witton-Davies became the dean. He brought new energy to the cathedral. Famous Welsh Youth Pilgrimages to St Davids also inspired many young people to join the church. The cathedral was given a special Grade I listing in 1951, meaning it's a very important historic building.
The 1960s saw St Mary's College restored to be used as the cathedral hall. It's now used for church events, art shows, and poetry readings.
Recent Milestones
The 1980s brought several important events. In 1981, Charles, Prince of Wales, visited to celebrate the cathedral's 800th anniversary. In 1982, Queen Elizabeth II gave out the Royal Maundy gifts at the cathedral. This was the first time this special ceremony had happened outside England!
The years around 2000 were very important for the cathedral. First, in 1995, St Davids officially became a "city" again, a title given by Queen Elizabeth II.
The dean at the time, Wyn Evans, had big plans. They needed a new organ and the west front needed major repairs. They also wanted to build a visitor center in the bell tower, add more bells, and rebuild the cloisters. The cloisters would house the choir, provide educational spaces, and have a dining area, reminding everyone of the cathedral's early monastic days.
The west front was repaired first, using stone from the original quarry. This was finished in 1998. Then, the organ was taken apart and rebuilt, finishing in 2000.
The new bells were a gift from the American Friends of St Davids Cathedral. The cloisters were rebuilt between 2003 and 2007. In 2012, the restored Shrine of St David was officially opened again.
The bells are not in the main tower but in the old gatehouse, Porth y Twr. There are 10 bells in total.
Cathedral Life Today
The cathedral holds at least three services every day. Sung services, with music from the choir, happen five days a week.
St Davids Cathedral was the first cathedral in the UK to use girls and men as its main choir, instead of just boys and men. There is also a boys' choir that sings regularly.
The St Davids Cathedral Festival takes place every year during the Whitsun school holiday. It features amazing performers, both professional musicians and talented young people. The cathedral choir always performs a popular concert, and the Festival Chorus and Orchestra perform a big musical piece on the last night.
Deans of St Davids
Before 1840, the main priest at the cathedral was called the "precentor." After 1840, the title "Dean" was added, so they are now formally called the "Dean and Precentor."
The current Dean of St Davids is Sarah Rowland Jones. She was appointed on May 5, 2018. Before becoming a priest, she worked in the Diplomatic Service. She trained for the ministry and served in South Africa before returning to Wales.
Local Legends
The Talking Stone
Gerald of Wales, who lived in the 13th century, told a strange story about a marble bridge near the church. This stone bridge was called "Llechllafar" (which means "the talking stone"). It was said to have spoken once when a dead body was carried over it to the cemetery. The effort of speaking made the huge stone break! People were so superstitious that they stopped carrying bodies over it. This old bridge was replaced in the 16th century, and no one knows where the original stone is now.
Merlin's Prophecy
Another legend says that the wizard Merlin predicted that an English king, who had conquered Ireland and was injured by a man with a red hand, would die on Llechllafar. King Henry II, who had come from Ireland, heard this prophecy while on a pilgrimage to St Davids. He crossed Llechllafar without any problems and boasted that Merlin was wrong. However, someone nearby replied that the King hadn't actually conquered all of Ireland, so he wasn't the king in the prophecy. This turned out to be true, as Henry never fully conquered Ireland.
Burials
Many important people are buried at St Davids Cathedral, including:
- Rhys ap Gruffydd
- Gerald of Wales
- Thomas Fastolf
- Adam Houghton
- Edward Vaughan (bishop)
- Benedict Nichols
- Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (who was the father of King Henry VII)
Organ
The cathedral has a wonderful organ. You can find more details about it on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Organists of St Davids Cathedral
Many talented musicians have served as organists at St Davids Cathedral over the centuries. Some of them include:
- John Norman (1509)
- Thomas Elliot (1563)
- Thomas Tomkins (around 1570–1586), who was the father of the famous composer Thomas Tomkins
- Arthur Richardson (1793)
- William Peregrine Propert (1851)
- Joseph Soar (1922)
- Nicholas Jackson (1977)
- Kerry Beaumont (1990)
- Geraint Bowen (1995)
- Timothy Noon (2001)
- Alexander Mason (2007)
- Daniel Cook (2011)
- Oliver Waterer (2013)
- Simon Pearce (2021)
See also
- Chapel of St Non – a chapel on the coast near St Davids
