St David’s Cathedral was clearly the focus of substantial ecclesiastical activity in the 1st millennium AD as an episcopal centre, the possibility of the survival of earlier medieval features had been raised and geophysics was completed on Chanters Orchard in August 2020 to the south-west of the cathedral. The results reveal a lot of activity with intriguing features potentially relating to earlier enclosures, a potential boundary wall and features associated with the nawdd (zone of sanctuary).
Mathry Church – a large early medieval circular enclosure around possibly a 5th or 6th century precursor to the ecclesiastical site at St David’s.
Llanrhian Church environs – a potential early medieval church enclosure.
Waun y Beddau Cemetery/Carreg Nymllwyd – the names suggest an early medieval burial ground which has already produced graves of early medieval date.
Capel yr Hen Fynwent – the name means ‘the chapel of the old cemetery’ which implies an earlier medieval or early medieval phase of activity at the site.
Rosina Vallis/Hodnant – a possible predecessor of the later ecclesiastical site at St David’s defined by an enclosure with fragments of medieval floor tile.