University of Wales Trinity Saint David - Lampeter Campus

When Thomas Burgess was appointed Bishop of St David's in 1803, he saw a need for a college in which Welsh ordinands could receive a higher education. The existing colleges at Oxford and Cambridge were out of the geographical and financial means of most would-be students. Burgess had no Welsh connections; he was born in Odiham, Hampshire in 1756. After education at Winchester College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, he had short stays in Salisbury and Durham before being appointed to his first bishopric in Wales in 1803. Burgess intended to build his new college to train priests in Llanddewi Brefi which, at the time, was similar in size to Lampeter but ten kilometres from it and with an…

C.R. Cockerell designed the original college, now called the Saint David's Building (Old Building or OB by students) in the centre of the Campus. It is a Grade II* listed building and contains lecture rooms, common rooms, administrative offices, student residential accommodation and the following three main areas: The Old Hall was the refectory until the Lloyd Thomas Building came into use in 1969. It fell into disuse; however after much restoration, it re-opened in 1991 as one of the main public rooms for meetings, dinners, conferences and for use by outside organisations. It was also used for some examinations. The Old Hall also contains paintings of various principals, presidents,…