A SPECIAL day of celebrations was held on Friday to mark 200 years to the day that the foundation stone was laid for St David’s College in Lampeter which signalled the beginning of higher education in Wales.

The foundation stone was laid on 12 August 1822 by Bishop Thomas Burgess and, to commemorate the bicentenary, a range of events and exhibitions were held on the Lampeter campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David on Friday, 12 August.

Professor Medwin Hughes, DL, vice-chancellor, said: “The service and the procession were a very special opportunity to celebrate the bicentenary.

“It was our pleasure to welcome Jeremy Miles, MS, minister for education and the Welsh language and the Bishop of St David’s the right reverend Dr Joanna Penberthy, and our guests to join us for this joyous occasion.

“The bicentenary marks two centuries of continued higher education opportunities for the people of Wales and celebrates the contribution of our universities and colleges in that story.”

The service was led by reverend Dr Emma Whittick, chaplain of the university in Lampeter, and the sermon was delivered by the right reverend Dr Joanna Penberthy, bishop of St Davids.

Following the service, and emulating the proceedings in 1822, a procession travelled from the church along the streets of Lampeter to the University Campus.

There, a memorial was unveiled by the bishop of St Davids and Jeremy Miles MP.

The minister then opened the gallery, an exhibition of the history of the Lampeter campus which includes the original foundation stone.

The peace bell was rung 20 times.

The bell was commissioned by the university as a symbolic sign to reinforce the commitment made 200 years ago to “support the study of world religions and to mark how the university has, over the years, developed as an international centre on for interfaith and intercultural dialogue”.

The peace bell, the only one of its kind in Wales, also marks the university’s “commitment to the Welsh Government’s values articulated in the Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015)”.

During the day, the book Treasures: Special Collections of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David edited by Professor John Morgan-Guy was launched. The book was commissioned by professor Medwin Hughes as part of the bicentenary celebrations.

It is a fully illustrated book containing a selection of the many thousands of works held in the Roderic Bowen library and archive on the Lampeter campus.

The special collections include over 35,000 printed works, eight medieval manuscripts, around 100 post-medieval manuscripts, and 69 incunabula.

These were mainly received through the generous donations of many benefactors, including bishop Thomas Burgess.

The books, which span over 700 years, contain essays by scholars whose knowledge and appreciation of the works is “second to none”.