St Davids Bishops Palace

Adjacent to the Cathedral is the Bishop’s Palace at St David’s . Though in ruin, they are a statement to the status of the medieval church and of its Bishops.

Though St David was by all accounts an austere man, the Bishops that followed him enjoyed all the trappings of wealth and influence as the size and elegance of the ruined Bishops Palace shows.

Work begun on the Palace in the 12th Century together with the Cathedral but is largely accredited to Bishop Henry de Gower (1328 – 47) who was responsible for building the more lavish decorative pieces, such as the great hall measuring 30 metres long and the exquisite wheel window over looking it.

No expense was spared to create a residence fit for the head of the Church and a major state figure. There were two sets of staterooms for the Bishop’s private use and for ceremonial occasions and a number of private chambers and kitchen rooms all decorated with arched parapets.

The Palace remained a stately residence of the bishops until the 16th Century when it was ravaged during the Reformation.