New portrait of St Non unveiled near where she is said to have given birth to St David
A new portrait of St Non is taking pride of place on the Pembrokeshire Coast, near to the site where she is said to have given birth to Wales’ patron saint.
The portrait by contemporary artist Meinir Mathias depicts a pregnant St Non standing near the clifftop in stormy weather. It is featured on a new information board located next to the footpath that leads to St Non’s Chapel and Holy Well in St Davids.
According to legend, both the chapel and well have strong links to the story of the birth of St David, with the well even reputed to have healing powers. Both saints went on to influence the spread of Christianity in the 6th century Celtic world, across Wales, Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany.
Meinir said:
“I was born in Pembrokeshire and have spent a lot of time in this landscape, so to bring this element into the work and to have the image of St Non situated on the coast is quite special. It’s also great to shine some light on historical Welsh women and in particular, the mother of the patron saint of Wales.”
The panel is part of a wide range of work to improve access to this important historical and spiritual site. This includes improvements to the footpath that allows disabled access closer to the well and chapel. There is also a sound walk produced by renowned writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare that enables people from all over the world the chance to experience the stories, secrets and sounds of St Non’s.
This project has been supported by Ancient Connections, an exciting arts, heritage and tourism project linking North Pembrokeshire and North Wexford, funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales co-operation programme, led by Pembrokeshire County Council, together with partners Wexford County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Visit Wexford.
To listen to the St Non’s Soundwalk visit our St Non’s Sound Walk page.
To hear the legend of the birth of St David, visit our Land of Legends page.
To find out more about Ancient Connections visit www.ancientconnections.org.
