St David's Cathedral

To every Welshman St David's is a hallowed place.
St David, a descendant of the ancient Kings of Wales and patron saint of Wales, was born and lived here. Now his bones lie in the great cathedral, begun in 1180, which was some 500 years after his death.
It was thought to be built in the shallow vale where it stands to hide it from the sea and possible invaders.
The plain exterior belies the richly decorated interior.
The floor slopes about 3ft from west to east, and the piers of the nave lean outward — an earthquake in 1248 was the cause of that.

In front of the high altar lies the tomb of Edmund Tudor, father of Henry VII and between it and the Holy Trinity Chapel is an iron-bound chest containing the bones of St David and his teacher, St Justinian.
Remains of St David's original shrine are kept on the north side of the presbytery. It was badly damaged during the years in which the cathedral suffered neglect until Sir Gilbert Scott was commissioned in 1826 to renovate the building.