Eglwys Dewi Sant

Eglwys Dewi Sant is a Grade II listed church building in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. It is the only church in the Diocese of Llandaff to conduct its services exclusively in the Welsh language.

It is an Anglican church serving the Welsh-speaking population of Cardiff and the surrounding district. It also attracts those who come to live in Cardiff from other parts of Wales as well as others anxious to learn or improve their knowledge of the Welsh language. Our service books are printed bilingually - Welsh and English. The church is located adjacent to the very fine Civic Centre and National Museum of Wales. It is easily accessible by both bus and train services.

As a result of war damage to its previous location in Howard Gardens, it relocated in 1956 to what was then St Andrew’s Church (built circa 1860) and was reconsecrated as Eglwys Dewi Sant on the present site. If you look carefully at some of the church pillars you can see indications of the original dedication to St Andrew.

The organ is undoubtedly one of the most significant features within the church. It was built by ‘Father’ Henry Willis who was one of the most famous British organ builders and installed many of the most important 19th century organs in this country. The Dewi Sant organ is regarded as one of the finest in Wales. It is one of the few remaining unaltered Willis instruments in Britain and as such, is an outstanding example of his work. It was installed in 1887 and underwent restoration in 1980. Since this restoration work, the church continues to hold many organ recitals and associated events, so that the sound of this magnificent instrument can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible.

Recent work on the building has enhanced the acoustics within the church and it has now become a centre for organ recitals and concerts. It is also used by choirs for evening rehearsals, Voice Academy rehearsals and rehearsals by the Dovetail orchestra which comprises refugees based in the city.