St David -- Palace of Westminster, Westminster, London, UK
N 51° 30.032 W 000° 07.433
30U E 699618 N 5709410
The statue of St David, the Patron Saint of Wales, one of 4 statues of patron saints of the UK on Westminster Palace.
Waymark Code: WMT6DM
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/03/2016
Views: 2
As you stand on Westminster Bridge, look over at the top area of tower of the Palace of Westminster to see the statue of St David. He is in the 2nd set of niches below the statues of St George of England Saint Andrew of Scotland, and St Patrick of Ireland.
St David is the Patron Saint of Wales.
From the Art in Parliament website: (
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"The walls of the Palace of Westminster are decorated with around 200 architectural statues of kings, queens and saints. There are six groups of patron saints in total, which Barry positioned on important parts of the outside of the building. This statue of St David is on the Speaker's Green façade and can be seen from Westminster Bridge.
Along with the entire series of exterior sculptures it was designed by the sculptor John Thomas and executed under his supervision. The statues were erected as Barry’s building progressed during the 1840s and 1850s. However, due to decay caused by atmospheric pollution most had to be replaced during the twentieth century. Thomas’s plaster models, from which the original stone statues were carved, were exhibited in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham until they were destroyed in the fire that engulfed the iconic structure in 1936."
From Catholic Online: (
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"ST DAVID
According to tradition, St. David was the son of King Sant of South Wales and St. Non. He was ordained a priest and later studied under St. Paulinus. Later, he was involved in missionary work and founded a number of monasteries. The monastery he founded at Menevia in Southwestern Wales was noted for extreme asceticism. David and his monks drank neither wine nor beer - only water - while putting in a full day of heavy manual labor and intense study. Around the year 550, David attended a synod at Brevi in Cardiganshire. His contributions at the synod are said to have been the major cause for his election as primate of the Cambrian Church. He was reportedly consecrated archbishop by the patriarch of Jerusalem while on a visit to the Holy Land. He also is said to have invoked a council that ended the last vestiges of Pelagianism. David died at his monastery in Menevia around the year 589, and his cult was approved in 1120 by Pope Callistus II. He is revered as the patron of Wales. Undoubtedly, St. David was endowed with substantial qualities of spiritual leadership. What is more, many monasteries flourished as a result of his leadership and good example. His staunch adherence to monastic piety bespeaks a fine example for modern Christians seeking order and form in their prayer life.His feast day is March 1."