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The small, sharp hill in the distance at one time supported a huge Christian cross - a sign and a symbol to pilgrims arriving by sea. "At one time" could mean any point since the 5th century - the 'Age of the Saints', when the Celtic tribes clung to their Christian beliefs after the Anglo Saxons (and the Jutes, who I feel sorry for, because they always get forgotten) replaced the Romans and restored pagan culture to most of England

The church at the base of the hill claims to be 'the oldest in Ceredigion' - not clear whether that relates to its foundation in those dark centuries or the construction of the current building in the 13th or 14th century. I'm not entirely fascinated by church architecture, but this one had a puzzling feature I've never seen before: a doorway in the north wall led to a spiral* stone staircase that turned 180 degrees and returned into the body of the church through a second, 'hanging' doorway near the top of the wall

An information board described this as a 'rood stair', but did not explain what it is for. I've heard of a 'rood screen' but not a rood stair. I have now informed myself. Early churches often hung a cross above head height across the church at the point between the congregation and the altar. This was called a 'rood'. In subsequent, centuries the word went out from Vatican HQ that churches should build a barrier at this same point in the church, to physically separate and protect the residual, holy bread and wine on the altar from the secular goings on that took place in the rest of the building during the week. Not everyone was being as reverent to the divine host as the Pope expected! 

Due to its position, the barrier became known as a 'rood screen'. Eventually, the screen and the rood became combined into a single construction, and the timbers at the top of the screen, which then supported the rood, became more substantial and formed a small gallery. The rood stair provided access to the gallery. Simple, when you know 

Rood screens were often damaged or destroyed during the Reformation because they carried 'graven images' (carvings, often painted) of which the Protestants disapproved. This church has the damaged remnants of an ancient one displayed on the wall as a historical curiosity, carved with the still discernible faces of what are probably some of the twelve apostles

Expecting a rather grey day, we walked just a two mile stretch of coast close to town. Expectations were confounded and we were treated to these armadas of billowing cloud rolling in over St George's channel, against a background of blue sky, for the entire walk. The sea, still fractious and agitated, was rendered a patchwork of camouflage colours - a treat all the more pleasant for being unexpected. Any arriving pilgrims will have had a rough but spectacular journey

*Why are staircases called 'spiral' when their shape is a helix?