Set in a hollow on the west bank of the River Taff, this imposing cathedral is built on the site of a 6th-century monastery founded by St Teilo. His tomb is on the south side of the sanctuary and an ancient stone Celtic cross stands nearby.
The present cathedral was begun in 1120, but it crumbled throughout the Middle Ages and during the Reformation and Civil War it was used as an alehouse and then an animal shelter. Derelict by the 18th century, it was largely rebuilt in the 19th century and extensively restored after being damaged by a German bomb in 1941. The towers at the western end epitomise the cathedral's fragmented history – one was built in the 15th century, the other in the 19th.
Inside, a giant arch supports Sir Jacob Epstein's huge aluminium sculpture Majestas – its modern style a bold contrast in this gracious, vaulted space. Pre-Raphaelite fans will appreciate the Burne-Jones reredos (screens) in St Dyfrig's chapel and the stained glass by Rossetti and William Morris' company.
