St Dogmael's Abbey

St Dogmael and a replica of an Early Christian Monument.  He was a Welsh monk and member of the House of Cunedda who preached in Pembrokeshire and then Brittany.  The statue was commissioned by Ian Gollop to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.  It is sited beside the mill pond for the water mill, which is beloved of ducks . . . .

The Welsh name for St Dogmael's is Llandudoch, which translates to . . . Dogmaels!

After swiftly going to the Mill for our flour before it shut for lunch, we then visited St Thomas' Church.  I recalled this memorial stone to Sagranus having a rather unpleasant "vibe" and yup, it was still in a bad mood.  I found it rather unpleasant standing close to it and was glad to move away.  It is broken, and was probably originally a standing stone which has been re-used in a later age.  The use of both Latin script (for the name) as well as Ogham lettering (the scratch type marks on the edges to the left) allowed the Irish Ogham language to be translated for the first time.  The inscription dates to the early 6th Century and was set up to mark the grave of the local chieftain of that name.  

It is made from spotted dolerite and came from many miles away at Carn Meini.

Also in the church are two more Early Christian Monuments:

A portion of a slightly incised Maltese Cross within a circle.  A headstone of a type commonly used between the 9th and 11th Centuries.

This is a 9th - 10th Century cross stem .

You would think that this church has always been the most hallowed building, with the early Celtic "clan" having been on this site (until obliterated by a violent Viking raid in 988).  However, it is recorded that in 1614 - 17, a certain Rev. Thomas Price was the Vicar, but oh dear me, in 1616 he found himself up before the Magistrate charged with "for keeping at St Dogmells without a licence, a  common tippling house and for selling ale and beer" !!!

Beautiful stained glass windows.

Inside the church (and out) were memorials to the mariners of St Dogmael's - in fact outside, nearly ALL the memorials were to men who had perished at sea.  Ships were built here just a stone's throw from the Abbey and Cardigan - a couple of miles upstream, was a VERY important port.

A bigger picture of the altarpiece.

Just two of the many gravestones to brave sailors who died doing the job they loved.  If you read the places they sailed between, you realize every voyage must have been fraught with danger - imagine going around Cape Horn in a sailing ship.  Valparaiso was one of their destinations.