St. Justinian
(description):
Impressive cliff top position, Colonial
Style Bungalow set in two acres of lawned
gardens, in close juxtaposition to Ramsey
Island, Ramsey Sound and St Davids lifeboat
station - which has been launching lifeboats
for nearly 140 years.
The property affords
spacious accommodation with high ceilings,
near walls of glass, a wide central hallway
- leading to airy rooms - sleeping a maximum
of 16. Nearby, boating activities include
sailing, fishing, boats trips and cruises -
see video opposite!
The islands of
Grassholm, Ramsey (see below),
Skomer and
Skokholm plus surrounding sea areas
provide excellent opportunities to
see/film/photograph wildlife.
Ramsey Island (Welsh: Ynys Dewi) is
an island about 1 km off the coast of the St
David's peninsula in Pembrokeshire on the
northern side of St Brides Bay, in southwest
Wales.
Ramsey Island from Porthmelgan
In Welsh the island is named after Saint
David (Dewi Sant), the patron saint of
Wales. It was the home of his confessor,
Saint Justinian. The nearest town, strictly
a city, is St David's.
Ramsey Island is less than 3.2 km (2 mi)
long and its highest point is 136 metres
(446 ft) above sea level. It is the third
largest island in Wales, after Anglesey and
Holy Island.
Owned by the RSPB, the island has
spectacular sea bird cliffs, coastal scenery
and heathland. Ramsey has the most important
Grey Seal breeding colony in southern
Britain, and is one of the best sites in
Wales to see Choughs.
Other breeding species include Ravens,
Common Buzzards, Peregrines, Northern
Wheatears, gulls, auks, Manx Shearwaters and
Guillemots.
With a permanent population of just two
human residents (the RSPB warden and his
wife who live in a farmhouse there), the
island is otherwise uninhabited. Tourist
boats sail to and around the island (7 days
a week, Easter-31 October) from St
Justinian's RNLI lifeboat station on the
mainland.
Whitesands Bay (Welsh: Porth-mawr)
shown as Whitesand Bay on some maps, is an
EEC award-winning, Blue Flag standard, wide
sandy beach in St Brides Bay in the
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, United
Kingdom. The beach is located about two
miles west of the small city of St. Davids
and about one mile south of St Davids Head
and has been described as the best surfing
beach in Pembrokeshire and one of the best
tourist beaches in the world.
The area to the north east of the bay is
dominated by a large rocky outcrop, 594 feet
(181 m) at its highest point, known as Carn
Llidi. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path passes
alongside the bay, giving access in the
north to the secluded bays of Porthlleuog
and Porthmelgan (which are only accessible
on foot), and the rugged coastal scenery of
St Davids Head and the Pembrokeshire Coast
Park. To the south, the coastal path leads
to Porthselau and St. Justinian's, with
views across the Ramsey Sound to Ramsey
Island. There are a number of megalithic
burial chambers, stone hut circles and Iron
age enclosures to be seen in the vicinity of
Carn Llidi and St Davids Head.
It is said that St. Patrick had his vision
to convert Ireland to Christianity here and
set sail from the bay in the fifth century.
The site of a Celtic chapel, dedicated to St
Patrick, is located under a mound by the car
park just to the east of the bay, at what is
thought to have been the embarcation point
for pilgrims to St Davids Cathedral. At very
low tide the remains of an ancient,
petrified forest can be seen on the beach,
consisting of stumps of birch, fir, hazel
and oak trees.
Oriel y Parc, St Davids - A unique insight into
the new Landscape Gallery in St
Davids, in the UK's only truly
coastal National Park
Stone ruins of
St. Justinian’s Chapel
(inside two
acre garden of property)
Saint Justinian (also
Stinan, Jestin or Iestin) was a 6th century
hermit who lived on Ramsey Island, near St.
David's, in the Welsh county of
Pembrokeshire.
Tradition states that
he was a Breton nobleman who settled on the
island of Ramsey as a hermit. He was visited
by Saint David who was so impressed with his
holiness that he made him his confessor and
Abbot of St David's Cathedral.
However Justinian
became disillusioned with the poor attitude
of the monks at St Davids and took himself
away the short distance to remote Ramsey
Island to establish a more holy spiritual
community.
His more loyal monks
followed him. Legend has it that he was
eventually murdered by some disgruntled
servants or monks fed up with his strict
regime, it is said by beheading him.
Apparently he picked up
his head and crossed Ramsey Sound walking on
the water carrying his head in his arms and
his body was buried in the small ruined
chapel which still stands on the mainland at
St Justinian's, immediately opposite his
island home.
Justinian is listed on
very ancient Welsh calendars of saints and
martyrs and the Anglican church at
Llanstinan, near Fishguard, is dedicated to
him. His body was transported to the shrine
of Saint David in St David's Cathedral.
St. Justinian
(accommodation) Seven
bedrooms (all with washbasins) sleeping a
maximum of sixteen. Four doubles, (master
bedroom with king size bed) one twin and two
childrens bedrooms each with bunk beds and a
single bed. Bed linen and towels are
provided.
A bathroom with full
suite and double walk in shower cubicle with
power shower. Second bathroom with toilet,
washbasin and Jacuzzi bath.
Comfortable sitting
room with 3 piece suite, TV, stereo CD/Radio
and fireplace.
Kitchen with range
style cooker with two electric ovens, gas
hob, microwave, dishwasher, fridge, TV,
breakfast table with 4 chairs and one
highchair. A door leads to pantry with
shelving, washing machine, tumble drier,
freezer, and safe.
St David's Cathedral is
situated in St David's in the
county of Pembrokeshire, on the
most westerly point of Wales.
The monastic community was
founded by Saint David, Abbot of
Menevia, who died in AD589.
Between AD645 and 1097, the
community was attacked many
times by raiders, including the
Vikings, however it was of such
note as both a religious and
intellectual centre that King
Alfred summoned help from the
monastic community at St David's
in rebuilding the intellectual
life of the Kingdom of Wessex.
Many of the Bishops were
murdered by raiders and
hoarders, including Bishop
Moregenau in AD999, and notably
Bishop Abraham in 1080. The
stone, which marked his grave,
known as ‘The Abraham Stone’, is
intricately carved with symbols
of the early Celtic Church, and
now is on permanent display
within the Cathedral Exhibition
at Porth-y-Tŵr.
In 1081, William the Conqueror
visited St David's to pray, and
thus recognised it as a holy and
respected place. In 1089, the
shrine of David was vandalised,
and stripped of its precious
metals. In 1090, the Welsh
scholar Rhigyfarch wrote his
Latin “Life of David”,
highlighting David’s sanctity,
thus beginning the almost
cult-like status he achieved.
In 1115, with the area under
Norman control, King Henry I of
England appointed Bishop Bernard
as Bishop of St David's. He
began to improve life within the
community, and commenced
construction of a new Cathedral.
In 1123, Pope Calixtus II
granted Bishop Bernard’s request
to bestow a Papal “Privilege”
upon St Davids, making it a
centre of pilgrimage for the
Western World, the Pope
decreeing “Two pilgrimages to St
Davids is equal to one to Rome,
and three pilgrimages to one to
Jerusalem!”. The new Cathedral
was quickly constructed. Bishop
Bernard consecrated the new
Cathedral in 1131. Henry II of
England’s visit in 1171 saw the
following of David increase –
and the need for a larger
Cathedral.
The present Cathedral was begun
in 1181, and completed not long
after. Problems beset the new
building and the community in
its infancy; the collapse of the
new tower in 1220, and
earthquake damage in 1247/48.
Under Bishop Gower the Cathedral
was modified further, with the
rood screen and the Bishop’s
Palace, intended as permanent
reminders of his episcopacy.
(The Palace is now a picturesque
ruin, and rood-screens are
considered an inappropriate
division between the clergy and
laity, and where they remain,
they do so merely as items of
historical architectural value.)
The episcopacy of Edward Vaughan
saw the building of the Holy
Trinity Chapel, with its fan
vaulting which some say inspired
the roof of King’s College,
Cambridge. This period also saw
great developments for the nave,
whose roof and Irish Oak ceiling
were constructed between
1530-40. Bishop Barlow, unlike
his predecessor as Bishop,
wished to suppress the following
of David, and stripped St
David's shrine of its jewels and
confiscated the relics of St
David and St Justinian in order
to counteract "superstition" in
1538. In 1540, the body of
Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond
and father of Henry VII, was
brought to be entombed in front
of the High Altar from the
dissolved Greyfriars’ Priory in
Carmarthen.
The dissolution of the Monarchy
and the establishment of the
Puritan Commonwealth under
Oliver Cromwell had great effect
on many Cathedrals and Churches,
particularly felt in St Davids.
The Cathedral was all but
destroyed by Cromwell’s forces,
and the lead stripped from the
Bishop’s Palace roof.
