Churches open their doors for heritage festival

Medieval wall paintings, barrel roofs and bullet holes are among the rarely noticed features on display at some of Wales’ churches during open days in September.

Cathedrals and churches are among more than 200 historic sites and landmarks offering free entry, events and guided tours in September as part of the Open Doors festival to celebrate the nation’s hidden gems and encourage visitors from both near and far.

The festival, organised by Cadw, was launched at St Davids Cathedral. While the Cathedral is open every day of the year, it will be offering access and tours to parts of the building usually closed to the public on September 24-25 and September 29. They include the Medieval bell tower and the Lapidarium, in the gatehouse, which displays ancient Celtic stones. Visitors will also have the chance to see 14th Century, perfectly preserved wall paintings, which are among the best of their kind in Europe.

The Dean of St Davids, Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, “We are delighted once again to be taking part in the Open Doors festival and welcoming visitors back. The Cathedral, like many of our churches, is not just an important Christian site, it is significant place of Welsh heritage. This year we are celebrating our hidden places and encouraging people to take their time, look around and discover the treasures that are often just on their doorsteps.”

In contrast to the Cathedral is the small rural church of St Tetti in Llandetty, near Brecon. It’s offering visitors the chance to see a simple, late Medieval church with a barrel roof, coat of arms wall painting and a ninth century inscribed Llandetty Stone. They can also learn about the bullet hole in the east door. St Tetti’s will be open on September 24 between 11am-4pm as part of the Sacred Places in Breconshire, Brecknock History Festival.

Ffion Reynolds, Arts and Heritage Manager for Cadw said, “We warmly welcome the return of Open Doors - Wales’ annual contribution to European Heritage Days - running throughout September.

“Not only is it a celebration of the rich and fascinating history Wales has to offer, but an opportunity for more people than ever before to inspire a life-long love of history and culture - especially our future generations.

“And by opening these sites for free, we hope to provide an equal opportunity for all to explore, enjoy and uncover the untold stories of Welsh history.”

• For a full list of all the churches and other buildings taking part in Open Doors and their events, see https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/whats-on/open-doors-events