Chapel of St Non, St Davids, United Kingdom

The Chapel of St Non is located on the coast near St David's. Held by tradition to mark the birthplace of St David, the ruin cannot be accurately dated but is unusual in that it is aligned north-south rather than the usual east-west. Near to the ruined chapel is a retreat, a modern chapel and a holy well.

The ruin is thought to be on the site of St Non's house and to be one of the oldest Christian buildings in Wales. In medieval times the chapel was one of the main sites visited by Christian pilgrims. Following the Protestant Reformation, pilgrimages stopped and the chapel was converted into a house before being used as a garden.

A large stone standing in the corner of the ruined chapel, inscribed with a cross within a circle, is known as St Non's Cross. The stone was found in the same field as the chapel and is either a grave or an altar stone. The stone is dateable to the 7th to 9th century, but there is no firm evidence that it originally came from the site.

In the chapel field there are a number of standing stones which may be evidence of an Iron Age settlement. It is possible that the chapel was built within an original pagan circle of standing stones.

A holy well close to the chapel was thought to have healing properties, and to this day visitors throw coins into the well for luck.

A modern chapel was built near the ruin in 1934 by Cecil Morgan-Griffiths, a solicitor from Carmarthen, using stone from ruined local chapels.

References:

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Religious sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Lornna Dickson (2 years ago)
Stunning walk really beautiful scenery and interesting about the Chapel and St David. Easy route and a few benches on the way, so peaceful and tranquil.

Iain Wooding (2 years ago)
The original Chapel is a pile of stones and a notice board now. The well is quite quaint. The recent Chapel in the grounds of the retreat centre but can be accessed easily. Nice small Chapel Ideal for a moment of thought.

Yazz (2 years ago)
Absolutely stunning location with beautiful scenery and costal walks. The weather was about 24° which made the walk even more beautiful. Remember to wear good walking shoes as there is different terrain through the costal paths.

Astro Paradiso (2 years ago)
St. Non's Chapel is a ruin... Within the ruins is a distinct Pillar Stone with Celtic Cross (Circa 7th Century) engraved into it. If you follow the coastal path to Carfai Bay there is another stone with a Celtic Cross and additional 4 Sun Rays. St. Non's also has a holy well and shrine to the Virgin Mary. On the hill is the Chapel of Our Lady & St. Non which is adjacent a Catholic Retreat. It's tranquil and picturesque... Where spirituality meets the sea. St. Non's Day is March 2nd, a day after St. David's Day.

Noni Robb (2 years ago)
We walked here from St Davids and it was a lovely road down to the Chapel. Fantastic views and the Chapel was nice and cool, as it was very hot the day we visited. It was a relaxing place to think and be quiet. Lots of information about St Nons. I found it to be interesting.

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