Llandaff Cathedral

Llandaff Cathedral is considered to be one of the oldest Christian sites in Great Britain. Around 560, Dyfrig is said to have founded a Christian community here. His successor was Teilo, who was followed by his nephew Euddogwy. These three Celtic saints are patrons of the cathedral.

Construction of the present cathedral began in 1120 by Bishop Urban, the first bishop appointed by the Normans. From 1200 onwards, the cathedral was extended giving it a new west façade. In addition, the chapter house was built to the south of the choir around 1250, and by 1287 the Lady Chapel was added to the east which, unlike the rest of the cathedral, has largely been preserved.

Severe damage was done to the church in 1400 during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr. Until the Reformation the cathedral was still a pilgrimage destination, which was visited because of the tomb of Saint Teilo. However, due to the ban on pilgrimages, the diocese lost its main source of income for the maintenance of the cathedral. Bishop Blethyn notified his fellow clergymen in 1575 that he believed the cathedral to possibly be damaged beyond repair.

The cathedral fell into disrepair, only the Lady Chapel continued to be used for services. During the great storm of 1703 the nave became a roofless ruin.

Restoration began in 1734, but the architect wanted to build an Italian Temple in the neoclassical style within the medieval ruins. His building destroyed other parts of the medieval church, but construction was stopped in 1752. It was not until the 19th century that the diocese once again had the funds to restore the church in the neo-Gothic style. In 1857 the chancel and nave were completed again. In 1869, the restoration of the cathedral was completed with the construction of the new south-west tower, the Pritchard Tower.

During WW II, the cathedral was badly damaged by German air raids on Cardiff. On 2 January 1941, an aerial mine hit the cathedral, reducing it to ruins once again. The exterior reconstruction was carried out from 1949 by George Pace, who was influenced by Le Corbusier and based the reconstruction loosely on the historical model. The reconstruction of the exterior was completed in 1957 and the interior was redesigned by 1960.

A dancer holding a pillar