City in Pembrokeshire, Wales
St Davids
Britain's smallest city has no town hall worth the name, a cathedral hidden in a hollow, and a patron saint said to have been born on a clifftop in a storm.
Key information
- County
- Pembrokeshire
- Nation
- Wales
- Population
- about 1,800 (2021 Census)
- Known for
- St Davids Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace and the Pembrokeshire coast
- Famous people
- St David, Gerald of Wales, Bishop Henry de Gower
About St Davids
The city that fits in a village
St Davids is one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom, with a population of only about 1,800 at the 2021 Census. It has the grand title because of what stands at its heart: the cathedral of the patron saint of Wales. The city status was granted long ago in the Middle Ages and lost over time. It was restored in 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II, and locals have since enjoyed a reputation for punching far above their weight. You can walk from one end of the centre to the other in minutes, and the Welsh name, Tyddewi, simply means 'David's house'.
A cathedral hidden in a hollow
Most cathedrals stand proud on a hilltop. St Davids Cathedral does the opposite and sits tucked into the valley of the little River Alun, so that visitors only spot the tower when they are almost on top of it. The usual explanation is that the site was kept out of sight of seafaring raiders. The present building was begun in 1181 under Bishop Peter de Leia. The stone has a purple tinge, and the nave floor famously slopes noticeably upwards towards the altar. The nave also has a remarkable oak ceiling from the early 16th century, and the building has been repaired and rebuilt many times, including major restoration work by George Gilbert Scott in the 19th century. The cathedral is the burial place of Edmund Tudor, father of Henry VII, whose tomb was moved here from Carmarthen after the Reformation.
Dewi Sant and the pilgrim trail
St David lived in the sixth century and founded a monastery on this far western tip of Wales. Tradition holds that he was born near the coast during a storm, at a spot now associated with St Non's Chapel and its holy well, named for his mother. He is remembered for a strict monastic life of hard work, simple food and prayer, and for being a plain-speaking teacher. His feast day, 1 March, is celebrated across Wales with daffodils and leeks, and with children in traditional costume. In the Middle Ages the saint's shrine became so important that two pilgrimages to St Davids were said to count as one to Rome. Pilgrims came in great numbers, including kings. William the Conqueror visited in 1081.
A palace with a very Welsh sense of showing off
Right beside the cathedral, across the stream, are the ruins of the Bishop's Palace. Most of what you see was built in the 14th century under Bishop Henry de Gower, who was something of a builder with a flair for display. The great halls are topped by an arcaded parapet, an unusual decorative touch that makes the ruin seem more like a courtly residence than a defensive fortress. The bishops lived here in considerable comfort, and the palace was left to decay after the Reformation, when the lead was stripped from the roofs. Today it is an atmospheric place for open-air theatre and music in summer.
Cliffs, coves and wild water
St Davids sits within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, and the coastline here is some of the most dramatic in Britain. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs close by, taking in headlands, sandy coves and seals. Whitesands Bay, just outside the city, is a popular surfing beach, and St Davids Head is a rugged promontory with prehistoric remains. Offshore, Ramsey Island is an RSPB reserve with a grey seal colony and breeding seabirds, and boat trips run around it. The treacherous waters of the Bitches, a line of rocks and tidal races, add to the drama. Coasteering, which was developed in Pembrokeshire, is a local speciality, involving scrambling, swimming and jumping along the cliff-foot. St Davids is also known for its local produce and independent shops, and the Oriel y Parc gallery tells the story of the landscape and the city's art.
Gerald, the writer who wanted to be bishop
One of the city's most colourful historical figures is Gerald of Wales, or Giraldus Cambrensis, who was born at Manorbier Castle in Pembrokeshire around 1146. A scholar, churchman and sharp-tongued writer, he described Wales in vivid detail in the late 12th century. He was passionate about becoming Bishop of St Davids and campaigned for years to have the see recognised as independent of Canterbury. He was elected by the cathedral chapter but the king and the archbishop blocked him, and he never got the job. His writings remain a rich account of medieval Wales.
Related articles
St David's Day
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Wales's patron saint lived on bread, herbs and water, and his national day has two emblems, the leek and the daffodil, because of a happy linguistic muddle.
The Patron Saints of the UK
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