St Asaph Cathedral
| St Asaph Cathedral | |
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St Asaph, Flintshire | |
|---|---|
| Status: | Cathedral |
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| Church in Wales | |
| Diocese of St Asaph | |
| Location | |
| Location: | 53°15’26"N, 3°26’31"W |
| History | |
| Information | |
| Website: | stasaphcathedral.org.uk |
St Asaph Cathedral is a cathedral in the city of St Asaph, Flintshire. An Anglican church, it is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of St Asaph. The cathedral dates back 1,400 years, while the current building dates from the 13th century.[1] It is sometimes claimed to be the smallest Anglican cathedral in Great Britain.
History
A church was originally built on or near the site by Saint Kentigern in the 6th century (other sources say Saint Elwy in 560). Saint Asa (or Asaph), a grandson of Pabo Post Prydain, followed after this date.
The earliest parts of the present building date from the 13th century when a new building was begun on the site after the original stone cathedral was burnt by King Edward I in 1282.
The rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr resulted in part of the cathedral being reduced to a ruin for seventy years. The present building was largely built in the reign of Henry Tudor and greatly restored in the 19th century.
The cathedral made the national press in 1930 when the tower became subject to significant subsidence and the cathedral architect Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott advised of urgent repairs to be undertaken.[2][3] It was reported that the cause of the damage was by a subterranean stream.[4] It made the papers again when work was approaching completion in 1935.[5]
Geoffrey of Monmouth served as Bishop of St Asaph from 1152 to 1155, although due to war and unrest in Wales at the time, he probably never set foot in his see. William Morgan (1545 – 10 September 1604) was also Bishop of St Asaph and of Llandaff, and was the first to translate the whole Bible, from Greek and Hebrew, into Welsh. His Bible is kept on public display in the cathedral. The first Archbishop of Wales Alfred George Edwards was appointed Bishop of St Asaph in 1889.
The organ
A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Burials
- Saint Asaph
- John Owen, Bishop of St Asaph (1629 to 1651)
- Isaac Barrow, Bishop of St Asaph (1669–1680)—buried in the Cathedral churchyard
- William Mathias (1934–1992), composer, born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire.
- William Carey, Bishop of St Asaph (1830–1846)—buried in the Cathedral churchyard
- Joshua Hughes, Bishop of St Asaph (1870–1889)
- Alfred George Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph (1889–1934) and first Archbishop of Wales
References
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-17365580
- ↑ The Times, Saturday April 5, 1930; pg. 11; Issue 45480; col E
- ↑ The Times, Saturday April 19, 1930; pg. 12; Issue 45491; col B.
- ↑ The Times, Saturday September 6, 1930; pg. 12; Issue 45611; col D
- ↑ The Times, Wednesday September 18, 1935; pg. 13; Issue 47172; col E
Further reading
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about St Asaph Cathedral) |
Outside links
| Cathedrals of the Church in Wales |
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Bangor • Brecon • Llandaff • Newport • St Asaph • St David's |