St Non's Chapel and Well — Attraction in St. David's and the Cathedral Close

We have been to visit St Non's Chapel & Well near St. David's several times since our move to Pembrokeshire and have also been fortunate recently to be shown around the adjacent well appointed retreat centre (which hopefully may reopen its doors again to travellers in the not too distant future).

If you are able to walk a mile or perhaps drive out(as we did... there is some parking) out of St David's City following Goat Street you will find the Holy Well and in the field beyond ruins of the place where St David is said to have been born to St Non.

The site is a major draw not only for being the birthplace of St David and having a Holy Well with associated 'miraculous' waters, but also as a good spot to take a break whilst walking along the nearby Welsh coastal footpath and its magnificent views out over green fields and across St Bride's Bay to the Islands of Skomer and Grasholm.

We had been invited to attend a public religious service in the Chapel in the garden of the retreat centre built by a private individual, Cecil Griffiths, in the 1930s.

The Chapel is small and the congregation comprised of 36 overflowed into the garden... luckily on a fine evening!

The gathering were largely from the Roman Catholic Deaneries of the Diocese of Menevia in Pembrokeshire, but also several visitors to the area who were very pleased to unexpectedly chance upon this erstwhile rare occasion.

The Catholic Priest who celebrated the Mass, Fr Richard Jones OSB (the local Parish Priest based at Holy Name Church Fishguard) hopes to say Mass at this historic location once a month.

The Chapel has a lovely altar with a beautiful statue of Mother and Child to the side and magnificent stained glass windows depicting saints, St Bride, St Winifred and of course St Non.

The Chapel doors are regularly left open to allow visitors anytime (and also nesting swifts in the rafters!!)

Definitely a must see (and maybe a must stay idc!! ). Just turn up and see it whenever you can......

You don't have to be Welsh to feel this place. It's beautiful, intense, balm to the soul. Perhaps part of the St.David story is true and he was born here, in which case it's totally understandable. I admit I'm a believer in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost as we called it in my long gone youth) but the aura of this place has to have some explanation. Visit it for yourself. The Holy Well is perhaps overdone, a slate lined hole in the ground would have sufficed but methinks the Victorians had much to do with tarting it up. My only regret in visiting is that the retreat centre isn't still run by a religious order. Mammon has taken the reins. Summary. The story of St David, though possibly with a germ of truth, does stretch the credulity. He was obviously responsible for spreading Christianity in Wales. He obviously had a mother, so why not Non? All I can say is that this place was one of the highlights of my visit to this part of Wales. I'm from what was a little fishing and boatbuilding Tien about 40 miles North of Dy David's. I hit 80 years old recently and have wanted to visit this area since my teens. Done it. Beth happy. sSt Bins chapel and the Holy Well passed MY expectations. All I can say is,...

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....