Historic St Davids

DISTANCE/DURATION: 1.3 miles (2.1 km) 45 minutes.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Service bus St Davids 411, *Puffin Shuttle 400, *Celtic Coaster 403, *Strumble Shuttle 404 (*seasonal, hail & ride).
CHARACTER: Easy to moderate, paved and natural footpaths, quiet lanes, mostly minor road walking. CAUTION crossing main road at four points.
LOOK OUT FOR: St Davids Cathedral and precinct, Bishops Palace, attractive old cottages and streets.

Beginning and ending at Oriel y Parc Gallery and Visitor Centre, this 1.3-mile walk takes in one of the most breathtaking views in the National Park.

After walking through the centre of this little city, the view you get from the cathedral gate is stunning, with the cathedral itself tucked into the valley below and, to the west, the outline of St Davids Head and Carn Llidi.

Most cathedrals dominate their setting, but St Davids was built in a valley on the site of David’s Christian community.

St Davids is a fascinating place with some 200 listed buildings, including the cathedral and its Bishop’s Palace. In the past it was called a city because it had a cathedral, but locals have only been able to officially call their community a city since 1995.

This route takes you along Cathedral Close, where you may see cattle and sheep grazing to help conserve this ancient landscape.

The National Park Authority is the planning authority for Pembrokeshire and as such it works hard to conserve the special character of the area. On this St Davids walk you’ll pass several examples of old buildings which have been sympathetically restored, as well as new ones built in the local vernacular style.

Keep an eye out for the old school building which was converted to a pilgrimage centre, a playful newly built ‘hobbit’ style house and a listed Art Deco-style circular house.

From Cathedral Close, turn right onto a footpath marked for Ty’r Pererin onto Quickwell Hill, then turn left and cross the road, then immediately turn right via the footpath alongside the primary school to Nun Street.

Turn right and then left up Peters Lane and onto New Street. Bear left towards the supermarket then turn right and cross the road alongside the play area and up the lane/footpath to join Glasfryn Lane. Turn right and return to Oriel y Parc.

David established his community alongside the River Alun in the 6th century. It grew in importance after his death and for centuries pilgrims travelled to pay homage at his shrine.

David was canonised in 1120 when it was decreed that two pilgrimages to the saint’s shrine equalled one pilgrimage to Rome.