St Govan's Chapel, Bosherston, United Kingdom

Built into the side of a limestone cliff, the St. Govan's Chapel measures 6.1 m × 3.7 m with walls constructed from limestone, and consists of two chambers, one in the front and one in the back. The majority of the chapel was built in the thirteenth century, although parts of it may date back further to the sixth century when Saint Govan, a monk moved into a cave located on the site of the chapel. One legend suggests that Saint Govan is buried underneath the chapel's altar, located at the east end of the building. The entrance to the building is via. a doorway on the north side, low stone benches run along the north and south walls and an empty bell-cote is located at the west end. The slate roof is suspected to be a modern addition compared to the rest of the building.

The building is accessible from the clifftop by climbing down a set of 52 stairs, although tourist organisations propagate the legend that when counted, the number of steps differs between going down and going back up.

The building was listed with Grade I status on August 2, 1996. The chapel is within the Castlemartin Military Training Area and is sometimes inaccessible.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Boris Cornforth (4 years ago)
Beautiful and secret place. The weather was rough but I still enjoyed this place. Definitely highly recommend to visit to anyone. Just a few minutes walk from the car park.

Alan Coxon (4 years ago)
Not far from the car park horizontally, however a tad further vertically! Steps and handrail however far from easy access. Alas it might be suffering a tad from social media exposure, being a popular place to photograph it might lake a certain amount of serenity at times. However, I was lucky and it was quite peaceful. Stunning and dramatic coast beyond the chapel.

Skelton Ned (4 years ago)
Lovely tiny Chapel built below the clifftop. Not convinced by the folk tales but well worth a visit. Need to check that castle Martin MOD range is open (weekends) before you arrive.

Linda McMullin (4 years ago)
Not been here for a number of years. It was still tranquil and quiet and able to watch the seals in the bay below. Lovely place to go for a wslk

Lucie Rumsby (4 years ago)
Beautiful place, I felt alive standing absorbing the atmosphere. We had a picnic looking out to the sea. Its within walking distance of a almost secret beach too which we had to ourselves. Watched a seal in the sea and saw a chough flying ahead. Would reccomend if you love nature, being outside and away from lots of people!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright olive.titus

Historic Site of the week

Château de Niort

Château de Niort is a medieval castle in the French town of Niort. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th-century building and dominates the Sèvre Niortaise valley.

The two donjons are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12th century and completed by Richard the Lionheart. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. In the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.

The present keeps were the central point of a massive fortress. The southern keep is 28m tall, reinforced with turrets. The northern tower is slightly shorter at 23m. Both are flanked with circular turrets at the corners as well as semicircular buttresses. Each of the towers has a spiral staircase serving the upper floors. The Romanesque architecture is of a high quality with the dressed stones closely jointed.

St Govan's Chapel

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Château de Niort