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The Diocese of
St. Davids
Venturing in mission

churches to visit

Our diocese has over six hundred churches, each with its own character and all with their own stories to tell. Here are a few examples which you may like to sample:

St Govan's Chapel

st govan's chapelAlthough falling within the ancient parish of Bosherston the chapel is in the care of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Access to the cliff-top path leading down to the chapel is dependent upon the Firing Range being open to the public.

LOCAL NOTICES MUST BE OBSERVED.

Right out on the cliffs, five miles or so south of Pembroke, and a mile beyond the village of Bosherston, with its fine old 13th century church, and the famous lily ponds, there is one of the most picturesque little 6th century hermit's chapels in Britain.

It is named after the hermit and saint who lived there - now so many centuries ago, St Govan. Naturally, after such a long time, what we know of him is encrusted with legend, and it is no longer possible now to distinguish simple fact from pious embroidery, even if we wanted to.

Here is what we know or what we are told about St. Govan and his chapel.


St. Mary's, Fishguard

In stark contrast to St Govan's, the parish church in the seaport town of Fishguard, on the north Pembrokeshire coast, is a thriving, bustling place at the heart of the community.

 

Eglwys Llanwenog

Eglwys Llanwenog has been described as "a secluded treasure-house" but its massive  tower and white-washed walls make it a landmark clearly seen from a distance, whether approaching from Llanybydder (B4337) or on the main Cardigan road (A475) from Lampeter through Llanwnnen and Drefach . From either direction there is a clear signpost off to your left into the tiny hamlet after which this huge parish is named. Legend says that the original intention was to build a church  more in the middle of the parish in Cwrtnewydd, where there is still a hill named Bryn yr Eglwys, but that  when the church was being built, progress was thwarted daily by the Devil, who demolished it as fast as it was put up. The foreman is said to have thrown his hammer with great force, in the belief that where  it landed they would have more success, and the present church is the result. Whatever truth is behind this story, the current church is largely a thirteenth century  construction with a fifteenth century barrel roof.

The tower, through which one enters the church, was built by Sir Rhys ap Thomas, Lord of Dinefwr, and one of Henry VII’s chief supporters, in memory of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Tradition also says that it was Rhys ap Thomas  who delivered Richard III  his death-wound.

The church is built on a slope, so that one enters it down huge steps  looking down the long nave to the altar. On the walls of the church are the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed in Welsh , and on the right at the bottom of the steps, is a huge font, looking very primitive, and carved with twelve crude faces representing the 12 disciples.

The particular feature which distinguishes the church today is the woodwork, all of which was carved at the beginning of the twentieth century by the local squire, the Vicar, and a Belgian refugee named Joseph Rubens, to designs drawn up by the squire’s wife. This includes the pulpit, the lectern, the rood screen, and the ends of all the pews, carved out of oak from the Highmead Estate. The bench–ends are of particular interest, as they depict ecclesiastical, local and national events in a kind of rural diary covering a period of several years, which culminate with memorials to many of the men from local gentry families who died in the First World War.

Above the altar is a weather-beaten stone carving of the Crucifixion, which was originally on a gable-end outside the church, welcoming pilgrims to the holy well which used to be renowned for its healing properties, but has now disappeared.
The graves  in the churchyard have all been transcribed, and include those of two well-known 19th century Unitarian  ministers, David Lloyd and David Davis Caastellhywel. The latter is remembered for translating Gray’s Elegy into Welsh.
Bilingual services are held in the church every Sunday, and the Vicar also says Evensong here on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5.30 p.m. The Church is open all day every day, as is the much smaller Eglwys Llanllwni, three miles away in Maesycrugiau, dramatically perched on a crag  by the side of the River Teifi. Both churches are well worth a visit.