Church Heritage Cymru

Church Heritage Cymru 3964

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Cathedral: Ss Peter and Paul with Ss Dyfrig, Teilo and Euddogwy, Llandaff

Name:

The name or dedication of the church.

Cathedral: Ss Peter and Paul with Ss Dyfrig, Teilo and Euddogwy, Llandaff
Record Type:

This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.

Cathedral
Church code:

A unique identification number given to every church.

3964
Diocese:

The name of the diocese in which the church is located.

Llandaff
Archdeaconry:

The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.

Llandaff
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.

This is a Grade I Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.

There is a Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites. 

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.

The church is in a Conservation Area

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Buildings At Risk Status

On Buildings At Risk Register?

The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales. 

This church is not on the Buildings at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).

Medieval

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More  detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.

Like Brecon cathedral, Llandaff cathedral is ‘out of town’, in a pleasant suburb of Cardiff west of the river Taff. The suburb is effectively a ’cathedral village’ particularly around the green but with the church’s training college St Padarn’s (previously; St Michaels) not far away. Reference The Encyclopaedia of Wales

Visiting and Facilities

Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc. 

The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:

If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.

http://www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk/

Sources and Further Information

Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).

View information on worship and access at this church on the Church In Wales web site
RCAHMW (2004) Coflein http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/131/details/ [Digital Archive/Document]
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/
GGAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://www.cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?prn=GGAT00133s [Digital Archive/Data]
http://www.ggat.org.uk/her/her.html

This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.

Grid Reference: ST 155 781

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Church address

Address
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Ss Peter and Paul with Ss Dyfrig, Teilo and Euddogwy Llandaff CARDIFF CF5 2LA

Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.

Caerdydd - Cardiff

Location and Setting

This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.

Sited below and to the north of the plateau which carries the village but forming a striking object from every direction as the most prominent building in north-west Cardiff.

Reference
AA Route Planner 
OS Map 171
Cadw Listing Notice 13710

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

This is a description of the ground plan of the church.

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Dimensions

If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.

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Description of Archaeology and History

A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.

There was a pre-Norman monastic church here rebuilt 1120- c1170 onwards by Urban, the second Norman Bishop.  This work can be seen in the sanctuary arch, two doorways and some fragments.  Most of this work was replaced by Bishop Henry of Abergavenny in C13, the choir, nave and west front survive from this period.  The Lady chapel is also late C13 while the nave aisles were remodelled in the C14. In the late Middle Ages, there were two towers along the west front – the Jasper tower survives.  A great storm of 1703 caused much damage and in 1734 John Wood the elder of bath was employed to fashion a new church out of the choir and east end of the nave.  In carrying out this work he created a ‘Pagan Temple’ based on his theories about the form of the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.  This cost £7,000 and existed within the confines of the ruins of the earlier cathedral. John Prichard, The son of the senior Vicar Choral began the restoration with the Lady chapel east window in 1843 and in 1945 he was in sole charge and then in 1852 he was commissioned to restore the building unpicking Medieval work and demolishing Wood’s ‘Temple’. Happily, this work by Prichard found that much medieval fabric had been used by Wood.  As a result, the west front and nave were restored to their medieval glory. The only remains of the Wood work was an urn in the Processional way.  Now working in partnership with J P Seddon the work was finished in c1870.  In January 1941 a land-mine exploded outside the west front making the cathedral a ruin once more. Repairs were initiated by Sir Charles Nicholson, the cathedral architect but he died in 1949. George Pace completed the work finishing in 1960. |He lowered the choir arch, changed the shape of the Chapter House roof and placed a division between the nave and the choir.  The spire which had been dismantled in 1941 was restored in 1956.

Reference

Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001

Historic Wales Listing notice13710

Exterior Description

A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.

The Geology of the building stone – a range of stones have been used in the construction of the cathedral: Urban’s cathedral was built with Sutton stone from St Bride’s Major, this being the nearest good-quality freestone. The roofs are covered with Welsh slate and lead, almost entirely replaced after the Second World War. The plan is of a nave with north and south aisles and paired west towers then the nave contains the choir, sanctuary and ambulatory. The lady chapel is only partially contained within the nave, it has Purbeck marble window shafts internally and external like the Chapter house the blue lias has been patched with Ink Radyr stone. The Chapter house, which was built using the local blue lias with dressings in Sutton and Dundry stone and patched with Pink Radyr stone, is to the south while St David’s chapel is to the north, this was designed by George Pace and its walls have both glacial pebbles and Pennant sandstones. The west front is the gabled end of the nave, built in the Early English style with smooth C13 ash and flanked by the Perpendicular Jasper Tower which was built with small regular blocks of coarse lias, and to the south west the Victorian tower which during the C19 restoration fresh stone was incorporated into the building, notably Limestone from Chipping Camden for the south west tower giving it an orange hue.  The three-stage north-west tower has full height stepped buttresses and an octagonal stair turret and at the top a battlemented parapet, the corbel table is pierced and there is a tall stone spire with corner pinnacles. The lych gate is built with Radyr and Forest of Dean stone.

Reference

Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001

Historic Wales Listing notice  13710

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.

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Building Fabric and Features

Information about any important features and building fabric.

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Building Materials

If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.

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Interior Image

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Interior Description

This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.

Inside the cathedral the dominant feature is Sir Jacob Epstein’s ‘Christ in Majesty’ created in 1957 for which George pace used brush hammered concrete. The roof space is of ten bays with the nave and choir being divided by the concrete parabolic arches designed to carry organ popes and the ‘Christ in Majesty’ is the front of this feature. The division marks the position of the west front of John Wood’s ‘Temple’. Most of the work her is medieval but the clerestory is Prichard’s and timber ceilings are George Pace. His work is also to be seen in the choir stalls reusing parts of Prichard and Seddon’s ones but the Bishop’s Throne survives.  The reredos in the north choir aisle is medieval with an all over pattern of blank ogee crocked arches – it was probably the medieval high altar.  The font is by Alan Durst, installed in 1952 it is egg shaped of Hopton Wood stone and with a domical wooden cover.  The reliefs show the ‘Fall’ and the ‘Redemption’, with scenes, at the base, of the loves of Welsh Saints.  Pace’s pulpit came in 1957, is painted black wood (Pace wanted green paint).  A painting under the north west tower is a former altar piece ‘The Seed of David’ and is the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted between 1855 and 1864, initially used by Prichard and Seddon for the high altar. The Stained Glass. ‘The Supper at Emmaus’, designed by John Piper – artist Patrick Reyntiens, 1959; ‘The Annunciation and Visitation from Scenes from the Gospels’, Geoffrey Webb 1928 and 1952; ‘Tree of Jesse’ Geoffrey Webb, 1951; ‘David, St Stephen and Samuel with scenes from the Gospels’ from the firm Morris, Marshall. Faulkner & Co, designers William Morris and Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1869; ‘St Simon, St Peter, St Jude and Scenes from the New Testament’, from the firm Morris, Marshall. Faulkner & Co, designers William Morris Ford Madox Brown and Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1874; ‘St Simon, St Peter, St Jude and Scenes from the New Testament, St Teilo, St Tudful and St Elfan’, Robert J Newbery from the firm of Charles Powell, 1910; ‘Moses with St John the Baptist and St Paul’, from the firm Morris, Marshall. Faulkner & Co, designers William Morris and Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1868; ‘King Arthur, King Tewdrig and King Cadwaladr’, Charles Powell, 1919; ‘Christ with Elizabeth, John the Baptist and Zechariah’, from the firm Morris, Marshall. Faulkner & Co, designers William Morris and Ford Madox Brown, 1866; ‘The Crucifixion with Virgin Mary, St John and St Mary Magdalene’ J Silvester Sparrow, 1906; ‘Ruth, Dorcas and Anna, W F Dixon, c1883; ‘Christ with Two Kings’, Burlison & Grylls, 1909; ‘Crucifixion with Four Evangelists’, from the firm Morris, Marshall. Faulkner & Co, designers William Morris and Ford Madox Brown, 1868.

Reference

Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Historic Wales Listing notice 13710
Stained Glass in Wales

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings. 

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Portable Furnishings and Artworks

Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.

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Ecology

A description of the ecology of the churchyard.

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Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Cathedral.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Cathedral.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Cathedral.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

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Burial and War Grave Information

Records whether the church has been consecrated.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.

It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.

It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.

The churchyard does not have war graves.

National Heritage Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Cathedral.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Cathedral.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Cathedral

Churchyard Structures

Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.

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Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Setting Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.

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Fabric Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Fabric Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.

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Interior Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Interior Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.

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Community Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Community Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community. 

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Church Renewables

Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.

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Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Cathedral . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

"Seek Advice" Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Cathedral, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Cathedral, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Cathedral. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Cathedral and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Cathedral, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionMon 12 Dec 2022 10:38:15
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Exterior DescriptionMon 12 Dec 2022 10:37:33
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Archaeology and History DescriptionMon 12 Dec 2022 10:36:45
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Location and Setting DescriptionMon 12 Dec 2022 10:35:53
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionMon 12 Dec 2022 10:35:18
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Approximate DateMon 12 Dec 2022 10:35:02
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Burial and War Grave informationMon 12 Dec 2022 10:09:14
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Asset AddressFri 25 Nov 2022 11:54:08
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Burial and War Grave informationFri 25 Nov 2022 11:52:49
Sarah PeronsAdded QI inspectionFri 17 Dec 2021 08:54:49
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