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]