Difference between revisions of "St. Asaph"
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[[Image:Stasaph.jpg|right|thumb|140px|Cathedral Window depicting St.Asaph]] | [[Image:Stasaph.jpg|right|thumb|140px|Cathedral Window depicting St.Asaph]] | ||
| − | The city of St Asaph is an important center of connurbation lying between [[Denbigh]] and the coastal resort of [[Rhyl]]. It is situated on the River Elwy, and is home to the smallest cathedral in Britain. St Asaph is often called 'The Gateway City", because of its crucial position guarding the entrance to the heartland of North Wales and Snowdonia. It has a newspaper called 'The St.Asaph Times' <ref>see http://www.stasaph.co.uk/ | + | The city of St Asaph is an important center of connurbation lying between [[Denbigh]] and the coastal resort of [[Rhyl]]. It is situated on the River Elwy, and is home to the smallest cathedral in Britain. St Asaph is often called 'The Gateway City", because of its crucial position guarding the entrance to the heartland of North Wales and Snowdonia. It has a newspaper called 'The St.Asaph Times' <ref>see [http://www.stasaph.co.uk/Issue74/issue74.html this link to the St Asaph Times] </ref>, and is home to the highly prestigious St Asaph International Music Festival <ref>http://www.northwalesmusicfestival.co.uk/</ref> |
Revision as of 14:19, May 26, 2007
The city of St Asaph is an important center of connurbation lying between Denbigh and the coastal resort of Rhyl. It is situated on the River Elwy, and is home to the smallest cathedral in Britain. St Asaph is often called 'The Gateway City", because of its crucial position guarding the entrance to the heartland of North Wales and Snowdonia. It has a newspaper called 'The St.Asaph Times' [1], and is home to the highly prestigious St Asaph International Music Festival [2]
St Asaph has been an important ecclesiastical centre for centuries, dating back to AD560 when a community was founded by the Scottish saint Kentigern, who left his disciple Asaph in charge when he returned to Scotland.
Because of its strategic importance, both the city and its cathedral have a long and violent history. The cathedral has been twice destroyed by fire, has suffered attacks by rebellious natives and also foreign invaders. In 1245 AD it was destroyed by the soldiers of Henry III, and then again in 1282 by the armies of Edward I in 1282. The rebuilt cathedral (1284-1381) lasted only 21 years after completion, being razed to the ground by Owain Glyndwr's Welsh troops in 1402. In l7l5 the tower was completely demolished in a fierce storm. The existing building is largely 14th century with many Victorian alterations due to the remodelling by Gilbert Scott in 1867-75. The cathedral has been built, demolished and rebuilt so many times that is known as the "Jack-in-a-Box" cathedral by the local inhabitants.
Important Asaphians have included:
- William Morgan who first translated the Bible into Welsh in 1588
- Former Wales football captain Ian Rush
- Journalist Henry Morton Stanley who famously said "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
- "Rambling" Sid Rumpo, notable rustic folk singer popular in the 1960's
- Dic Aberdaron, the famous Welsh prodigy who taught himself Latin at the age of 11