St Justinian Explained

St Justinian (or St Justinian's[1] or St Justinians; Welsh: Porth Stinan) is a coastal location of indeterminate area in the extreme northwest of Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the community of St Davids and the Cathedral Close.

Name

The area is named for Stinan (later Anglicised to Justinian),[2] a 6th-7th century monk who was a contemporary of St David. Legend says that he was murdered by beheading and that his skull had miraculous properties.

Description

There is a small harbour, Porthstinan, housing the current St Davids Lifeboat Station, two former lifeboat stations and a private residence. The harbour is used for boat trips to Ramsey Island,[3] and for kayaking and speedboat trips. It is a popular access point for the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.[4]

History

St Justinian (as Sct. Stenans) appears on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire.[5]

Listed buildings

The ruined chapel of St Justinian is a Grade I listed building.[6] The 1870s old lifeboat house,[7] 1911 lifeboat house,[8] an early 20th century watchtower[9] and St Justinian's Well (a 19th-century stone enclosure over an ancient spring),[10] are all Grade II listed.

Geography

The bay on which St Justinian stands is known as Porthstinian.[11]

References

51.8778°N -5.31°W

Notes and References

  1. Note that the Ordnance Survey uses both "St Justinian" and "St Justinian's" on different maps: here (1:25,000) and here (1:50,000)
  2. https://archive.org/details/stdavidofdewisla0000rees/page/14/mode/2up?q=Stinan archive.org; accessed 24 June 2021.
  3. Web site: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: Ramsey. 5 March 2021.
  4. Web site: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: St Justinian. 5 March 2021.
  5. Web site: Penbrok comitat. British Library.
  6. Web site: Ruins of St.justinian's Chapel,porthstinian/ St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close. British Listed Buildings. 24 April 2014.
  7. Web site: Old Lifeboat House,porthstinian/St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close. British Listed Buildings. 24 April 2014.
  8. Web site: Lifeboat House,porthstinian/St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close. British Listed Buildings. 24 April 2014.
  9. Web site: Watch Tower to Nw.of St.justinian's, Porthstinian/St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close. British Listed Buildings. 24 April 2014.
  10. Web site: British Listed Buildings: St Justinian's Well. 25 February 2021.
  11. Shown on Ordnance Survey maps.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "St Justinian".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.