With St David’s day heading our way we though we’d start giving you some ideas for things to do. Over the next few days we’ll add things as they come in, but we can tell you, it won’t be anything like a normal celebration.

• HISTORY
• EVENTS
• VISIT A CASTLE
• WELSH RECIPES
• FOOD TO BUY
• TO DO AT HOME

THE HISTORY

The legacy of St David well and truly lives on here in South Wales and rightly so, he was a pretty remarkable man. St David was born in the year 500, the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, king of Ceredigion. According to legend, his mother St Non gave birth to him on a Pembrokeshire clifftop during a fierce storm. That spot is actually marked by the ruins of Non’s Chapel. The nearby holy well is said to have healing powers. 

St David became a renowned preacher, founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Brittany and Southwest England – including, (possibly) the abbey at Glastonbury. He supposedly made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem brought back a stone that now sits in an altar at St Davids Cathedral, built on the site of his original monastery.

St David died on 1 March (St David’s Day) in 589, so he did live a long and purposeful life. He was buried at the site of St Davids Cathedral, where his shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages. His last words to his followers came from a sermon he gave on the previous Sunday: ‘Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.’ The phrase ‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd’ – ‘Do the little things in life’ – is still a well-known and used in Wales. 

He apparently performed miracles, the most famous happened when he was preaching to a large crowd in Llanddewi Brefi. The people at the back complained that they couldn’t hear him, the ground where he was standing rose up to form a hill. A white dove, sent by God, then settled on his shoulder. 

Perhaps the reason he lived such a long life is that he was a teetoal vegetarian. St David and his monks followed a simple life. They ploughed the fields by hand, rather than using oxen, and refrained from eating meat or drinking beer. St David himself was reputed to have consumed only leeks and water – which is perhaps why the leek became a national symbol of Wales.

The team here at SOUTH WALES LIFE have attended a few events with Prince Charles, both on and around St David’s Day and he always wears a leek in his left lapel. In fact, at the last one, we even asked him about it and we can tell you he is very proud of it and Wales.

When you know the story and legacy of St David it’s easy to see why we are so passionate about celebrating and marking the day itself. Let’s be honest, we do it very well here.

In fact in 2019, to show the international importance of St David’s Day, it was celebrated at a huge 3 day Festival in Disneyland Paris.

We’ve included things we can do at home, stuff we can get the kids involved with in particular. Of course, there has to be a bit of baking. You can’t celebrate St David’s Day without a Welsh Cake and a slice Bara Brith.

VISIT A CASTLE

St David’s Day would normally be the perfect time to visit one of our historic castles, that will be on hold for a while, but we want to encourage you to get back out and support these fine structures, as soon as the world allows.

It would be ridiculous for us to list every single one of the 400 plus Welsh Castles, so what we thought we’d do is pick a couple at random with the hope of inspiring you. Visit Wales have so many more fantastic Castles featured.

White Castle, Monmouthshire

Named after its original white-rendered walls, White Castle is one of three fortresses – Grosmont and Skenfrith are the others – built by Norman lords in the Monnow Valley to guard the borderlands. Although it was already derelict by the 1600s, White Castle is easily the best preserved of the trio – with the bonus of a rural Monmouthshire setting.

Skenfrith Castle, Monmouthshire

Time travel fans need to visit Skenfrith – the Norman castle once played host to an episode of Doctor Who. See why this circular keep, constructed in the Monnow Valley as one of three neighbouring castles resulting from the Norman conquest of South Wales, is a repeated favourite of television crews.

Castell Coch, Cardiff

Castell Coch is a castle on top of a castle. It was originally a chieftain’s fortress in the 13th century, but was resurrected as a gothic fortress several centuries later. It is now notable for its extraordinary complex of lavish chambers, making it a repeated favourite with film and television crews.

Laugharne Castle

The magnificent medieval Laugharne Castle is forever associated with Dylan Thomas, who escaped writer’s block at the 12th century ruins. Discover his inspiration within the Victorian ornamental gardens, and relax near the Boathouse and Shed where poetry was once in motion.

Raglan Castle

Raglan Castle’s striking round towers make this fortress a singular classic, and there’s every chance you’ll be enraptured from the moment you see the astonishing gatehouse which once denied Oliver Cromwell at the end of the Civil War. Surrounded by fields, the romantic ruins even make space for a bowling green.

Caerphilly Castle

The largest castle in Wales, and the second-largest in Britain, Caerphilly Castle was locked within water defences when it was built by the English during the 13th century. The outside is the place, among an array of delights, to see four siege engines, and the inside has a hallowed, majestic feel.

WELSH RECIPES

We’ve kept this traditional and easy to follow. Visit Wales have got some great recipe videos and the results are delicious.

WELSH CAKES

For the recipe go here. WELSH CAKES

WELSH CAWL

Cawl is traditionally a hearty dish made of meat and any vegetables available. There are many recipes often handed down through the family and vary from town to town throughout Wales.

TO get the recipe, go here. CAWL

WELSH CREMPOG

Traditional Welsh Crempog are thick pancakes, thicker than a crepe and bigger than a Pikelet. Crempog are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, though they’re great to eat all year round!

For the recipe, go here. CREMPOG

BARA BRITH

Delicious when spread with salted butter, Bara Brith is a rich fruit loaf made with tea. Here’s our recipe for this traditional Welsh tea-time treat.

This is not the real traditional recipe for Bara Brith but this recipe is used all over Wales and makes a beautifully moist cake as the dried fruit are soaked overnight in tea. It’s best stored for a couple of days before eating, allowing the flavours to develop. 

Serves 8-10 slices | Prep 15 minutes  | Cook 1 hour

Ingredients

• 400g mixed fruit (e.g. sultanas, raisins, currants)
• 300ml strong hot tea 
• 250g self raising flour 
• 1 tsp mixed spice 
• 100g dark brown muscovado sugar 
• 1 free range egg, beaten
• honey to glaze

Method

1. Put the dried fruit in a bowl and pour over the tea, mix in the sugar and stir well to dissolve. Leave to soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. 
2. Next day, sift the flour and spice into the soaked fruit (no need to drain the tea) and stir in the egg. Blend well together. 
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C /Gas 4. Line a 900g loaf tin with baking/parchment paper and pour in the mixture. 
4. Bake for approximately 1 hour until the cake has risen and cooked through. Leave to cool on a rack and store for 2 days before eating. Serve sliced with butter. 
5. This mixture can be doubled to make 2 loaves and will keep for up to 7 days.
6. Warm a little honey to drizzle over the surface of the warm cake for a glazed topping.

ROAST LEG OF WELSH LAMB

Cook potatoes in the tin around the roast and make a gravy using the juices. The only other thing you need is some fresh veg for a fantastic Sunday lunch with the absolute minimum of fuss.

Ingredients

Serves: 12 

• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• fresh rosemary sprigs
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (2 to 3kg) whole leg of lamb

Method

Prep:10 min  ›  Cook:1hr 20min  ›  Ready in:1hr 30min 

1. Cut slits in the top of the leg of lamb every few inches, deep enough to push slices of garlic down into the meat. Salt and pepper generously all over the top of lamb, place several sprigs of fresh rosemary under and on top of the lamb.
2. Roast at 180 C / Gas mark 4, until the lamb is cooked to medium well. Do not overcook; the flavour is best if meat is still slightly pink.

Tip:

As a rule, roast a leg of lamb for 15 minutes per 500g (1 1/4 lb), plus 10 minutes more. Allow it to rest for a good 15 minutes before serving to ensure the juices redistribute, making a perfect roast.

Shortcut:

Pushing sliced garlic into a leg of lamb can be time consuming. Make this recipe even easier by chopping the garlic and sprinkling it over the lamb along with the rosemary leaves, salt and pepper.

Check out our other recipe ideas here……

• EASY HOT POT
• BANANA BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING
• CHICKEN & MUSHROOM PIE
• CHOCOLATE & RAISIN FUDGE
• ROAST BEEF FILLET WITH RICH WINE SAUCE
• APPLE CHARLOTTE

SOUTH WALES LIFE – RECIPE PAGES

FOOD TO BUY

Of course, if you don’t want to make the food then buying it is always an option, and for St David’s you need to have the traditional Welsh menu served on your plate, no matter what time of the day. We love that Welsh suppliers are so well represented in our best know high street stores. For example………….

St David’s Day with M&S

M&S are proud to work with many fantastic Welsh suppliers that are stocked in stores throughout the UK, from the iconic Pembrokeshire Bronze Turkeys and New Potatoes, to Welsh Beef and Lamb. When visiting, stores have bilingual signage and Welsh-speaking staff wear badges so they can be identified by customers easily.

St David’s Day is around the corner so it’s time to don your daffodils and bring home the best of Welsh produce. From the nation’s favourite Welsh Cakes to Popty Bakery’s iconic Bara Brith, there’s plenty to make you feel at home and avoid that hiraeth on the feast day of St David at M&S.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus!

Here’s the full list of stores included, but please note that the 20% off beef & lamb is not valid in the five English stores (Cheshire Oaks, Chester, Hereford, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury):

TO DO AT HOME

Things To Colour In

We can’t predict the weather but let’s be honest, we all love a bit of colouring in, especially if we’re ‘helping the kids.’ Feel free to download these to your device, print them off, get out the crayons and colour away.

PRINT OUT ACTIVITIES

Pin The Tail On The Dragon.

Print out the Welsh Dragon (above) on cardboard with the tail area visible. Then cut off the pointed tail area. Each player must cut out a circle from white card and colour it in appropriately. Stick some blue-tack to the back of each tail and write each players name on their tail. Each player is to be blindfolded before they take their turn at attempting to pin the tail on the dragon.

Colour & Fill In The Map

Print off the map from our download above, put your phone down (no cheating) and colour it in, then name the areas. We deliberately haven’t included the answers.