This is a list of all cathedrals in Wales, both Anglican Church in Wales cathedrals, and most of the Roman Catholic cathedrals of the Metropolitan Province of Cardiff, excluding the province's former pro cathedral Belmont Abbey in Herefordshire, England, as part of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
There are six dioceses of Wales with a Bishop for each diocese of the Church in Wales. The Archbishop of Wales is elected by the Electoral College from amongst the six Welsh diocesan bishops. The first Archbishop of Wales was enthroned in 1920.[1]
The Welsh Church Act 1914 caused the Church of England to be disestablished in Wales and Monmouthshire in 1920, and allowed the establishment of the Church in Wales and enthronement of the first Archbishop of Wales in the same year.[2] [3] The act introduction states, "An Act to terminate the establishment of the Church of England in Wales and Monmouthshire, and to make provision in respect of the Temporalities thereof, and for other purposes in connection with the matters aforesaid."[4]
| Image | Name and dedication | Diocese | Established, location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor CathedralCathedral Church of St Deiniol | Diocese of Bangor | 456 | |
| secular canons 1092 | |||
| Brecon CathedralCathedral Church of St John the Evangelist | Diocese of Swansea and Brecon | 1923 | |
| Benedictine priory 1093/1110–1538 | |||
| Llandaff CathedralCathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, St Dyfrig, St Teilo and St Euddogwy | Diocese of Llandaff | 550 | |
| monastery, secular canons 1107 | |||
| Newport CathedralCathedral Church of St Woolos | Diocese of Monmouth | 1921 as co-cathedral1949 as cathedral | |
| former parish church | |||
| St Asaph CathedralCathedral Church of St Asaph | Diocese of St Asaph | 553 | |
| monastery, secular canons 1143 | |||
| St Davids CathedralCathedral Church of St David | Diocese of St Davids | 580 | |
| secular canons 1116originally dedicated to St Andrew and St David | |||
The Welsh and Herefordshire operations of the Catholic Church in England and Wales is divided into three dioceses; the Diocese of Wrexham, the Diocese of Menevia and the Archdiocese of Cardiff. Together these dioceses make up the Catholic Province of Cardiff.[5]
The Archdiocese of Cardiff includes 78 churches including Cardiff cathedral. 70 of these churches are in south east Wales and 8 churches in Herefordshire, England.[6] The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is a permanent assembly of Catholic Bishops and Personal Ordinaries in the two member countries of Wales and England.[7]
| Image | Name and dedication | Diocese | Established, location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff Metropolitan CathedralCathedral and Metropolitan Church of St David | Archdiocese of Cardiff | 1916 | |
| Swansea CathedralCathedral Church of St Joseph | Diocese of Menevia | 1987 | |
| church opened in 1888, located in Convent Street, Greenhill, SA1 2BX | |||
| Wrexham CathedralCathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows | Diocese of Wrexham | 1907 | |
| parish church 1847pro-cathedral 1907–1987 | |||
Going by the Cathedral definition of seating a bishop this list includes St David's and St Asaph's attempt's to relocate to larger towns and also several early Celtic Catholic pre-congregational churches as well. Several of these are shrouded in mystery making it hard to figure out what's right and what's wrong
| Image | Name and dedication | Diocese | Established, location |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Padarn's Church, Llanbadarn Fawr Saint Padarn's church | Diocese of St Davids | 6th century-9th centuryProposed from 1920-1923 | |
| Leicester's Church, Denbigh Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester | Diocese of St Asaph | Proposed St Asaph move begun in 1578-9, abandoned in 1584[8] | |
| Planned Puritan cathedral built on site of earlier church, in north Wales then largest town | |||
| N/AN/A | Diocese of St Asaph | Proposed St Asaph move from 1281-1283 | |
| Proposed move to new english fortified town Rhuddlan. The intended cathedral site was probably used for the new parish church, St Mary's, in c. 1300 | |||
| St Peter's Church, CarmarthenSt Peter's Church | Diocese of St Davids | Proposed St Davids move from 1536-1539 and 1678 | |
| proposed move the see to Carmarthen then the largest town in Wales[9] | |||
| N/A | Glasbury Cathedral Saint Cynidr | Diocese of St Davids | 6th century-11th century |
| N/A | The Seven Bishop-Houses of the Kingdom of DyfedN/A | Diocese of St Davids | The 6 subordinate churches lasted from the 6th century-10th century |
| 7 in all including the current Cathedral at St David's they were scattered across the former kingdom of dyfed St David's had a higher status than any of the others. Apart from the Bishop of St David's, their heads were described as abbots. Whether the other six were also bishoprics, former bishoprics, burial places of saint-bishops or staging posts in the travels of the bishop of St David's is debated.[10] | |||
| Church of St Kentigern and St Asa Original dedication unknown | Diocese of St Asaph | 6th century-11th century | |
| St Asaph's former location | |||
| St Saeran's Church, Llanynys St Saeran's Church | Diocese of St Asaph | 6th century | |
| [11] | |||
| St Cybi's Church St Cybi's Church | Diocese of Bangor | 540-554 | |
| St Teilo's Church, Llandeilo Fawr St Teilio's Church | Diocese of St Davids | 6th century-11th century | |
| St Margaret's ChurchSt Margaret's Church | Diocese of Hereford | 6th century-11th century | |
| Was in Wales prior to 1844[12] | |||
Several Churches in Wales have been called cathedrals by their locals even if the aren't they are the following: