Set on a spectacular Pembrokeshire peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic upon the site of an earlier sixth-century monastery built by St David, the patron saint of Wales, St Davids Cathedral has been a site of pilgrimage and worship for more than 800 years.  Today this splendid building erected to the glory of God remains a vibrant, living church offering a place of peace for prayer and devotion.  

The present cathedral was begun sometime between 1180 and 1182 and is the culmination of centuries of rebuilding and expansion.  Constructed in the Transitional Norman style using fine-grained, purple Cambrian sandstone, it has survived both the collapse of its tower and an earthquake in the 13th century, although today the floor slopes noticeably, the arcades veer from the vertical, and the east and west ends of the building differ in height by about four metres!

St Davids Cathedral as we see it today has been extended and altered over the centuries by many individuals, but its appearance was probably most influenced by Bishop Gower in the 14th century, and later, in the 19th century, by the renowned architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, who undertook a significant restoration of the fabric of the building.  In the 20th century, the ruinous St Mary's Hall was restored for use as a parish hall and in the 21st century the restoration of the cloisters has made our own very significant impact on the appearance of the Cathedral.

The Cathedral’s foundations are still shifting, albeit minutely, but it remains a solid and lasting testament to the glory of God, enthralling and inspiring the many thousands of people who visit it each year.