Churches and chapels are dotted all along the Welsh coastline, so this month we take a look at the saintly figures who inspired these stunning coastal religious sites.

Legends, stories and tales of ancient Saints and sacred holy spaces are abundant along the wild Welsh coast. Many saints were said to have landed here on missions from Ireland or France, and simply loved the wilderness and the call of the sea so much that they stayed where they landed. Others perhaps, sought out solitude and the hinterland of lost souls in need of faith and found the perfect spot among the crags and rocks of the stunning Welsh coastline.

The Original Saint

Although there are thousands of Christian saints, Saint Mary, the mother of Jesus, is perhaps one of the most iconic, and one of the most oft mentioned at this festive time of year.

Mary is said to have lived between 18BC and 41AD when, according to Christian teachings, she didn’t die but passed straight to heaven and was assumed as a saint because of her unique contribution to the Christian faith – as the mother of Jesus, the founder of this far-reaching religion.

In celebration of this most ultimate of festive Saints, our first walk this month takes us to the tiny village of Rhossili on the beautiful Gower coast. Rhossili is famed for its long, sandy beach and the dramatic coastline and craggy island rocks of Worms Head and Burry Holms, and it is here that the village church is dedicated to Saint Mary herself.

The original village church was destroyed during a sand-storm about 800 years ago, so in the 13^th century a brand new church was built for the worshippers of Rhossili, and this time it was high atop a cliff. The church as it stands today still has some elements of the original Norman building, although of course it has been enlarged and repaired since.

With the stunning scenery of Rhossili beach stretching itself out below the churchyard and the wilds of the Celtic Sea beyond, St Mary’s Church is the perfect place to pause and reflect on the life of a legendary woman, without whose story the Christmas celebrations we know and love today would be very different indeed.

Ceredigion Calling

Our second walk takes us to the middle of Cardigan Bay and the small village of Llanrhystud. Set just back from the coast, this little town is named after a Welsh saint called Rhystud. Although not a lot is known about him, he was thought to have been a missionary from the ancient lands of Armorica (now part of Brittany in Northern France). It’s not clear how Rhystud made it to the tiny settlement along the Welsh coast, but he chose this spot for his religious teachings and founded a church here in the 6^th century.

Today, the village church is dedicated to St Rhystud, and indeed, the village takes its name from the ancient Saint. The present church was built in the mid 19^th century, although it is assumed to be on the same site that Rhystud built his place of worship almost over 1,500 years ago.

Tudno of Llandudno

And finally, we head north to the seaside town of Llandudno, sometimes known as the “Queen” of Welsh resorts. And it seems that a 6^th century Saint called Tudno didn’t disagree either, as he chose to build his religious site on the hills of the Great Orme.

Tudno was one of King Seithenyn’s seven sons and lived in the legendary kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod on the Cardigan coast. The story goes that the King forgot to close the sea-gates of the kingdom one night because he was drunk, and the entire dynasty flooded and was lost forever (Cantre’r Gwaelod or the submerged forest is still visible today near the town of Borth, at very low tide).

To make up for his father’s stupidity, Tudno sought a life of solitude and reflection and entered a monastery near Chester. When his studies were complete, Tudno looked for a quiet spot where he could live peacefully and religiously and soon found it on the Great Orme. Llandudno would have been nothing but a small village then, but Tudno set about bringing Christianity to its people.

Although nothing remains of the original church, another was built on the same spot 600 or so years later, and it remains in use today, as a place of quiet reflection and prayer. To make the most of its stunning position on the banks of the Great Orme and overlooking the beautiful North Wales coastline, open-air services are held over the summer months.