Giants North Wales

St Asaph Cathedral

St Asaph Cathedral is a strange sort of giant. It is famous for its diminutive stature – the smallest ancient cathedral in Britain. But it plays a big role in the spiritual and cultural life of Wales.

The building, mostly 14th century with some Victorian additions, is beautiful. No thanks to Owain Glyndŵr, whose troops tried to burn it down in 1402, or the Welsh weather. A storm of 1715 wrecked the tower before it was rebuilt in its current iconic form.

The cathedral is the final resting place of Bishop William Morgan, who translated the bible into Welsh. Much to the delight of Queen Elizabeth I, who knew the Welsh would only become Protestant by worshipping in their own tongue. Y Beibl is arguably the most important book in Welsh history – because it ensured the survival of the language.

You can see a rare first edition of the 1588 Morgan bible in the Translators’ Chapel inside the cathedral. And there’s a memorial to this giant of a man outside.