"Built upon the site of St
David's 6th century monastery, St David's Cathedral has been a site of pilgrimage and worship for
many hundreds of years and remains a church serving a living community. This community is
represented not only by the people of the parish of St Davids but by all who find peace in this
place of prayer and devotion."
(Quoted from
St David's Cathedral webpage.)
St Davids, a village in Pembrokeshire on the southwest coast of Wales, was designated as a city by
Queen Elizabeth II in 1995 because of the cathedral located there.
St David is the patron saint of Wales
and his feast day, March 1, is celebrated annually with
eisteddfodau, eating
cawl, and wearing
daffodils and/or leeks. Should you be in Wales on the first day of March, you are likely to see daffodils
blooming everywhere, some planted in gardens, many growing wild. They are the national flower.
It wasn't St David's day when I visited the cathedral with my friend John, but a
chilly, blustery November day. The changeable weather was brightened by the beauty of this ancient, awesome
place of worship.
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Above: This ancient cross, of medieval origin,
in St David's village square was is the most eye-catching monument at this point. Most of the
cathedral is currently out of sight, down a hill, but its square tower in the center of the
photo tells us that it is nearby. |
Above: A short walk from the village cross
reveals the magnificent edifice located in a small valley, snuggled
between gently rolling hills. On the left is the nave,
dating from the twelfth century. On
the right the walls date from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Directly ahead is the
south transept which is identified as twelfth and thirteenth centuries with a post-medieval
extension to the east.
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Above: John paused before entering
to admire the stonework of the arch. The quality of the skill of the artisans and craftsmen of nine centuries
ago is no less than that seen today. Although the stones are weathered, the architecture and engineering
are still strong and will allow the building to stand for centuries on.
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We'll go inside now. For the next few
photos I've chosen to use smaller images. To see a larger version, click on a small image.
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Above: A pulpit and pews stand
ready for a preacher, congregation and worship service. |
Above: Pulpitum in front of the pipes
of the excellent organ. |
Above: The Chapel of St Thomas Becket,
specially set aside for peace, contemplation and private prayer. |
Above: Hand-woven banner in honor of
St David. |
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Above: The resting place of the Countess
of Maidstone in the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor.
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Above: Marble tombs of prominent individuals rest on a parquet
tile floor. |
Above: Intricately beautiful ceiling
in the square central tower. |
Above: The tomb of Edward I stands in
front of the remains of St David's shrine, a place he is said to have frequented in life. |
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We'll go back outside now and see the
grounds surrounding the cathedral.
Please turn to page two.
See photos and information related to St. David's mother:
St. Non's Chapel and Well
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*Unless otherwise noted, all photos
on this website were taken by Venita
who also holds the copyright. Should you wish to download any of them for any purpose (other
than your own enjoyment), please credit Venita
as the photographer and add my homepage URL:
http://homepage.mac.com/venitar/home.html
Comments are appreciated!
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