Cathedral Close
The fourteenth century wall with its sixteen foot high battlements once surrounded the medieval city of St David’s.
It encapsulated sixteen acres for the community who administered the cathedral, and it still does – the cathedral still owns most of the significant buildings.
The most important of which is the remarkable Bishops’ Palace. Many distinguished pilgrims would have come here, and an impressive building was required to entertain them.
Henry II came twice and Edward I visited - though originally they would have been entertained at the predecessor to this palace - a small earthwork castle at Penlan Castle, a mile from town.
Closest to the Bishop’s Palace sits the Archdeaconry. Over the road as we move away is the Treasurer’s House, and then the Victorian Canonry.
A sixteenth century Chancellor’s House was demolished to build the Canonry in the 1850s. The new beast is, appropriately enough, roughly Tudor in style.
Another sixteenth century house, this time a hall, was lost in 1820-21 when William Owen of Haverfordwest built Brecon House for the Archdeacon of Brecon. But the result is so pleasing that I think we can almost forgive them.

Oriel y Parc
This is a more recent example of St Davids architecture – a Visitor Centre created by Peter Roberts. It has plenty of curves, a green ‘living’ roof and a unique architectural style.

Treginnis Isaf
The most westerly farm in all of Wales. A typical nineteenth century farm but it’s the collection of outbuildings that make it exceptional. Look at the outbuildings – a dovecot, granary with hipped roof, cart house, orangery, walled garden, slaughterhouse and cowshed. The architect Peter Roberts has converted some of the outbuildings for their present use as one of the ‘Farms for City Children’.