Community crafting uncovers hidden heritage features of St Asaph’s Cathedral

People in St Asaph are being encouraged to engage with the history and hidden features of the city’s Cathedral as part of a new community art project.

Thirty free craft bags will be available each month for collection from the office of St Asaph Cathedral to enable people to do a heritage craft activity at home.  Essential materials along with full instructions will be included in the bag. The Cathedral is also launching a new YouTube channel – St Asaph Cathedral Heritage – with films explaining the history of the building and how to make the craft activities.

The project has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and has been especially designed to comply with Coronavirus restrictions.

The Activities Coordinator for St Asaph Cathedral, Lorna Kernahan (right), said: “Seven different crafts will be created over the coming months to enable people to engage with the history and heritage of the Cathedral as Coronavirus continues to make it difficult for families to visit places of interest. The films will create a legacy for the project, meaning those craft activities will always be available on-line.

“The first activity for October is based on the miracle performed by Asaph and depicted in a stained-glass window in the Cathedral.  Thirty craft bags containing all the essential materials needed to create your own stained-glass window will be available for collection from the Cathedral office.  In November, people can receive all the materials to create a miniature Cathedral.

“We’re really excited to be working with artist, Juliet Staines who has devised these activities and created the how to films to accompany each craft.  It means we can continue to engage local people with the history and heritage of their community, in spite of Coronavirus.”

St Asaph Cathedral is now open for services every day and continues to broadcast these online too.  Visitors for private prayers, pilgrims and tourists are also welcome to the Cathedral on Tuesdays and Fridays, with a one-way system and sanitising stations in operation.  Visit the Cathedral website for opening times.

The craft bags can be collected from the office of St Asaph Cathedral from the first Friday of every month and will be available until they run out until the last Friday of the month. You can reserve your bag by emailing Lorna Kernahan at. Find out more at  https://stasaphcathedral.wales/

St Asaph Cathedral dates from 1239 with the present structure completed in the 15th century.  It is home to an original copy of the William Morgan Welsh Bible, dating from 1588 and several other important Welsh translations.  A monument to Bible translators stands in the grounds outside the Cathedral.

St Asaph Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of St Asaph. It is part of the Church in Wales, an independent Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.