Canon Leigh Richardson was born in Liverpool but grew up in St. Davids. Educated at the Cathedral as a Chorister and Ysgol Dewi Sant and later at Trinity College Carmarthen, he then taught in the Primary sector before he began his training for Ministry at St. Michael’s College, Llandaff and Cardiff University in 1995. He was Ordained in St. Davids Cathedral in June 1997 and served his title in St. Peter’s Carmarthen. Soon after priesting, Leigh was appointed to the post of Chaplain to Coleg Sir Gâr, a multi campus college in Carmarthenshire, pioneering full time Further Education Chaplaincy in Wales at the time
With the college chaplaincy embedded, Leigh returned to parochial ministry taking the Parish of Abergwili in 2001 but kept a hand in Chaplaincy by being commissioned in the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department and joined the chaplaincy team looking after Dyfed Army Cadets. In 2003 he transferred to a Reservist Regiment, The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Militia, the senior Regiment in the Reserve Army. He attended the Professionally Qualified Officers Course at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in 2006 and deployed with the Regiment to Basra, Iraq on Operation Telic 11 in 2007. On his return from Operations in 2008, Leigh was appointed Area Dean of Carmarthen, a post he held until 2018. In 2010, Canon Leigh moved back to St. Peter’s Carmarthen as Rector, during diocesan parish reorganisation, looking after St. Peter’s and Abergwili until 2018 and as a training incumbent to several full time and non-stipendiary curates.
In 2015 Leigh was appointed to the Diocesan post of Director of Ordinands, and as a Residentiary Canon of St. Davids Cathedral. In 2018 Leigh moved to St. Davids and to the post of Sub-Dean and Canon Residentiary of St. Davids Cathedral. He has since taken on the role of Precentor and has responsibility for the liturgy and music in the cathedral. He relinquished the role of DDO on his move to St. Davids, but remains passionate about vocations and is a Provincial Discerner on the Provincial Discernment Panel.
Leigh has remained a Reservist Army Chaplain since his move to St. Davids and was awarded the VRSM long service medal in 2016. In 2020 he moved from the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers to become chaplain of The 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh.
Leigh is married to Christa who is a Head teacher of a Welsh Medium Primary School, and they have four daughters, three cats and a mad cocker spaniel called Doti. He enjoys family holidays, music and singing, walking, local history and cooking curries.
