Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Cathedral of St Davids
St. David's and the Cathedral Close, Pembrokeshire, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade I
- Broad class
- Religious, Ritual and Funerary
- Date of designation
- 1 March 1963
- Locality
- St.Davids
- Community
- St. David's and the Cathedral Close
- Unitary authority
- Pembrokeshire
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.88198, -5.26834
- Cadw reference
- 12537
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1608 "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
Situated in the sheltered valley of the River Alun, below the city.
History
C12 to C16, restored principally by Sir G G Scott 1862-78, J O Scott and W D Caroe. The present building is substantially of 1180-1220, built by Bishop Peter de Leia, his work comprising the nave with its arcades, triforium and clerestory, aisles, west tower arch and transept walls, eastern tower piers, choir aisles and E responds of choir. The W front is a restoration by Sir G G Scott to recreate the Norman original following the unscholarly rebuilding of 1793 by J Nash. Round arches generally, with chevron and other ornament and single keel mouldings to shafts and jambs. One of the earliest British examples of combined triforium and clerestory.
The fall of the central tower in 1220 demolished the choir and transepts, but these were rebuilt to very similar design by 1250. Pointed arches on three sides of the crossing are post 1220 as are arcades of presbytery to E. E lancets of presbytery repaired after earthquake damage 1248. Choir aisles extended E with cross-passage enclosing courtyard in late C13, the courtyard roofed 1509-22 to form Holy Trinity or Bishop Vaughan's Chapel, with fan-vaulted roof. Lady Chapel added ca1300. C14 work includes alterations to nave aisles; chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury added to N transept with former chapter house above; second stage of tower; Bishop Gower's rood screen and S porch. Influence of the Bristol School evident in C14 work. C16 top stage to tower, Lady Chapel vault (collapsed 1775, rebuilt early C20), early C16 fine timber nave roof. Late C15 to early C16 choir stalls, sanctuary sedilia and sanctuary encaustic tiles.
Interior
Outstanding monuments include: in the nave, Bishop Morgan (d1506) and Bishop Gower (d1347); in the S transept C10 or C11 Celtic carved fragments; in the presbytery Edmund Tudor (d1456), altar tomb provided by Henry VIII; and in choir aisles various C13 effigies, one reputedly of Gerald of Wales.
Notable post-medieval works are the painted roofs to crossing and presbytery by Sir G G Scott; the Salviati mosaics and Hardman glass to the lower and upper lancets of the E end; the Lady Chapel vault by W D Caroe, 1897-1903; and W window stained glass of ca1920.
Reason for designation
Listed grade I as the principal cathedral of Wales and the most important medieval ecclesiastical building in Wales, on the site of the monastery founded by Saint David ca520.
Nearby in the register
- St David's Cathedral Hall (formerly Chapel of St Mary's College) & attached Cloister RuinsReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Wall of walled garden to S. of Cloister HallDomesticunder 1 mi
- Footbridge by Pen-y-FfosTransportunder 1 mi
- Retaining Wall on SE.Side of River Alun, from Ford to Bridge by Cloister HallDomesticunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.