National Park Authority outlines response to climate emergency
Lifetime achievement award for National Park volunteer stalwart with over half a century of service
Shop local and beat the Black Friday blues at the National Park Authority’s three Christmas crackers
Skrinkle Haven wildflower meadow boosting biodiversity across the National Park
Home » Enjoying » Places to visit » Oriel y Parc » What's Here » Oriel y Parc Grounds
Oriel y Parc Grounds
Oriel y Parc sits within its own grounds, with ample parking and full accessibility. To find out more visit the Oriel y Parc website.
Enclosed within the arc of the building is a formal couryard, in the centre of which lies the St David's Day Stone. The flat stone has been inscribed with a verse by former Archdruid James Nicholas. The verse is a "Pilgrim's Prayer", translated into English by the poet as:
"O God, You gave to St Davids a light
which to us is a mystery;
in Your turn,
O grant her a dream for Tomorrow."
At noon on St David's Day the stone is illuminated by a shaft of sunlight shining through the hole in the adjacent rock. This is the exact centre of the circle of the building design.
A path leads through an arch between the centre and the tower, into the woodland garden. Originally planted to provide shelter for the house opposite, it now provides a quiet counterpoint to the busy courtyard, and gives access to the city centre and Cathedral.
Within the woodland are the St Non's Stones. The initial idea for the sculpture came from the story of St Non, and the cliff tops on which she gave birth to David, during a raging storm. At the centre of the encircling winds was an area of peace and tranquilty in which the future saint was born.
"The aim of the sculpture is not to tell the story of St Non, but to create a sence of both an energy and stillness. It is there for people to experience, a physical presence, trying to form a bridge between the tangible and the unearthly" explains Richard Harris, the Powys based sculptor.
