St Justinian

This article is about the place. For the Welsh saint, see Justinian of Ramsey Island. For the orthodox saint, see Justinian I. For other uses, see Justinian (disambiguation).

St Justinian (or St Justinian's^[1] or St Justinians; Welsh: Porth Stinan) is a coastal location of indeterminate area in the extreme northwest of Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the community of St Davids and the Cathedral Close.

Lifeboat Stations at St Justinian harbour

The ruined chapel of St Justinian

Name

The area is named for Stinan (later Anglicised to Justinian),^[2] a 6th-7th century monk who was a contemporary of St David. Legend says that he was murdered by beheading and that his skull had miraculous properties.^[3]

Description

There is a small harbour, Porthstinan, housing the current St Davids Lifeboat Station, two former lifeboat stations and a private residence. The harbour is used for boat trips to Ramsey Island,^[4] and for kayaking and speedboat trips. It is a popular access point for the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.^[5]

History

St Justinian (as Sct. Stenans) appears on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire.^[6]

Listed buildings

The ruined chapel of St Justinian is a Grade I listed building.^[7][8] The 1870s old lifeboat house,^[9][10] 1911 lifeboat house,^[11][12] an early 20th century watchtower^[13][14] and St Justinian's Well (a 19th-century stone enclosure over an ancient spring),^[15][16] are all Grade II listed.

Geography

The bay on which St Justinian stands is known as Porthstinian.^[17]

References

1. Note that the Ordnance Survey uses both "St Justinian" and "St Justinian's" on different maps: here (1:25,000) and here (1:50,000)
2. [https://archive.org/details/stdavidofdewisla0000rees/page/14/mode/2up?q=Stinan archive.org; accessed 24 June 2021.
3. "St Justinian". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
4. "Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: Ramsey". Retrieved 5 March 2021.
5. "Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: St Justinian". Retrieved 5 March 2021.
6. "Penbrok comitat". British Library.
7. Cadw. "Ruins of St Justinian's Chapel (Grade I) (12692)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
8. "Ruins of St.justinian's Chapel,porthstinian/ St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
9. "Old Lifeboat House,porthstinian/St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
10. Cadw. "Old Lifeboat House,porthstinian/St.justinian's (Grade II) (12692)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
11. "Lifeboat House,porthstinian/St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
12. Cadw. "Lifeboat House,porthstinian/St.justinian's (Grade II) (12695)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
13. "Watch Tower to Nw.of St.justinian's, Porthstinian/St.justinian's, St David's and the Cathedral Close". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
14. Cadw. "Watch Tower to Nw.of St.justinian's, Porthstinian/St.justinian's (Grade II) (12694)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
15. "British Listed Buildings: St Justinian's Well". Retrieved 25 February 2021.
16. Cadw. "St Justinian's Well (Grade II) (12693)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
17. Shown on Ordnance Survey maps.

51°52′40″N 05°18′36″W / 51.87778°N 5.31000°W / 51.87778; -5.31000