St. David’s Cathedral

St. David’s Cathedral

Executive summary by darmansjah

St David's Cathedral  is situated in St Davids in the county of Pembrokeshire, on the most westerly point of Wales.

Within a century the Nash West Front had become unstable, and the whole building was restored by George Gilbert Scott between 1862-70. The Cathedral suffered the pains of Disestablishment in 1923, as did the whole Church in Wales. The diocese was made smaller by the removal of the Archdeaconry of Brecon to form the new Diocese of Swansea and Brecon. The 1960s saw the restoration of St Mary’s College as the Cathedral Hall, for the use of the Cathedral Parish, and for use as an area for art exhibitions and poetry readings. During the 1980s a number of official events in Cathedral life took place: in 1981, Charles, Prince of Wales visited to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Consecration of the Cathedral; and on Maundy Thursday 1982, Queen Elizabeth II distributed the Royal Maundy at the Cathedral. The task that lay before the dean, the Very Reverend Wyn Evans on his appointment in 1994 was huge: a new organ was badly needed, and the west front needed extensive restoration. It was also thought time that the Cathedral invested in its future, by creating a visitor centre within the bell tower, enlarging the peal of bells from eight to ten, and by the "re-construction", or completion, of the cathedral cloisters to house the cathedral choir, vestries, an education suite, rooms for parish use, and a refectory, as a reminder of the monastic beginnings. The ring of bells was cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry of London, and presented as a gift by the American Friends of St David's Cathedral.