Ysbyty Ifan

{{Location map many

| Wales

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| caption = Some pilgrimage sites (with links9px) around Ysbyty Ifan18px

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| link1 = Ysbyty Ifan

| lat1_deg = 53.021

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| lon1_deg = -3.723

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| label2 = Bangor is Coed

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| link2 = Bangor-on-Dee

| lat2_deg = 53.003455

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| lon2_deg = -2.911186

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| label3 = Holyhead

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| link3 = Caer Gybi (fort)

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| lon3_deg = -4.6328

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| label4 = Bardsey Island

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| link4 = Bardsey Island

| lat4_deg = 52.76

| lon4_deg = -4.79

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| label5 = Valle Crucis

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| link5 = Valle Crucis Abbey

| lat5_deg = 52.983

| lon5_deg = -3.183

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| label6 = Strata Marcella

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| link6 = Strata Marcella

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| label7 = Basingwerk and Holywell

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| link7 = Basingwerk Abbey

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| label8 = Bangor

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| link8 = Bangor Cathedral

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| label9 = St Asaph

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| link9 = St Asaph Cathedral

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| label10 = Cymer

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| link10 = Cymer Abbey

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| label11 = Aberconwy

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| mark11 =

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| link11 = Aberconwy Abbey

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| label12 = Maenan

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| link12 = Maenan Abbey

| lat12_deg = 53.174725

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| label13 = Beddgelert

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| link13 = Priory and Parish Church of Saint Mary, Beddgelert

| lat13_deg = 53.011372

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| label14 = Clynnog Fawr

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| link14 = Clynnog Fawr

| lat14_deg = 53.019135

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| label15 = Llanllugan

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| link15 = Llanllugan Abbey

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| label16 = Shrewsbury

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| link16 = Shrewsbury Abbey

| lat16_deg = 52.707836

| lon16_deg = -2.745517

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| label17 = Meifod

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| link17 = Meifod

| lat17_deg = 52.71

| lon17_deg = -3.25

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| label18 = Chester

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| position18 = top

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| mark18 =

| mark18size =

| link18 = Chester Cathedral

| lat18_deg = 53.19

| lon18_deg = -2.89

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}}

Ysbyty Ifan, until about 1190, was known as {{langnf|cy|Dôl Gynwal|Cynwal's meadow}}. Then, it came to the attention of the Knights of St John, the Order of Hospitallers, who set up a hospital to care for pilgrims and also to be a hostel for them on their journeys (Ysbyty Ifan means hospital of St John).{{cite web|title=House of Knights Hospitallers: Preceptory of Halston Pages 87-88 A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 2. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1973.|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol2/pp87-88|publisher=British History Online}} Ysbyty Ifan was on the ancient pilgrimage routes, for example, from Bangor Is Coed (Bangor-on-Dee) to Holyhead and Bardsey Island and the Cistercian Way between Aberconwy and Cymer.{{cite web|title=Welsh History Month: Ysbyty Ifan and the tomb of Rhys ap Maredudd|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-history-month-ysbyty-ifan-2045988|publisher=Wales Online}} It is centrally located among a significant number of important pilgrimage destinations of the Middle Ages, see the map which shows only some of them.

In the 15th century, the Red Bandits of Mawddwy used Ysbyty Ifan as a hideout, taking advantage of the Knights' privilege of sanctuary.

The hospital was abolished in 1540 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries; the Church of St John is built on the site of the old hospital, and it contains a number of remnants that tell of the area's history.{{cite web|title=St John's Church, Ysbyty Ifan|url=http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=st-john-s-church-ysbyty-ifan|publisher=History Points}} Effigies in the church are said to depict Rhys Fawr ap Maredudd (fl. 1485–1510), a local nobleman who served Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth, his wife Lowri, and his son Robert, chaplain to Cardinal Wolsey.

There is a bridge over the Afon Conwy in the centre of the village

• The poet William Cynwal was buried in Ysbyty Ifan in about 1588. He was a disciple of Gruffudd Hiraethog and took part in the second Caerwys eisteddfod in 1568.{{cite DWB|title=CYNWAL , WILLIAM|id=s-CYNW-WIL-1587}}
• Tomos Prys, sailor, buccaneer and poet, was buried in Ysbyty Ifan on 23 August 1634.{{cite DNB|wstitle= Price, Thomas (fl.1586-1632) |volume= 46 |last= Jones |first= R.M.J. |author-link= |pages= 339-340 |year= |short=1}}
• Abraham Lincoln's great, great-grandfather, John Morris, lived in Bryn Gwyn, a farmhouse in Ysbyty Ifan which is now derelict. His daughter emigrated to Pennsylvania in the United States with a group of Quakers in the 17th century.{{cite web|title=Lincoln: Conwy village Ysbyty Ifan's link to president|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21548773|publisher=BBC News}}
• Orig Williams, notable independent wrestling promotor and host of long-running Welsh wrestling show Reslo, was born in Ysbyty Ifan, with a plaque erected in his memory.BBC News (2011) "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-15692617" (retrieved: 28 December 2024)
• Siôn Dafydd Berson (c.1675-1769), poet, clog maker and lay reader, was buried in Ysbyty Ifan cemetery in 1769. Dafydd is mainly remembered as the person who taught Twm o'r Nant to read and write.{{cite web|title=Siôn Dafydd (c.1675-1769) - Poet, clog maker and lay reader|url=http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/a-sense-of-place/community-project-at-ysbyty-ifan/sin-dafydd-c.1675-1769-poet,-clog-maker-and-lay-reader|publisher=Snowdonia National Park Authority}} The inscription on his grave, by Twm o'r Nant, says "Galar, i'r ddaear ddu - aeth athraw..." (Oh grief, into the black earth - goes the teacher...)
• Gwallter Mechain, the Welsh bard, was made curate of Ysbyty Ifan in 1799.{{cite DWB|title=DAVIES, WALTER|id=s-DAVI-WAL-1761}}
• Clough Williams-Ellis designed Voelas, a small country house, for Colonel John Wynne-Finch in the late 1950s. The house is a Grade II* listed building{{National Historic Assets of Wales|desc=Voelas|num=20585|grade=II|access-date=22 February 2023}} and its gardens and grounds are listed, also at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.{{NHAW|uid=1872|num=PGW(Gd)59(CON)|desc=Voelas|class=HPG|access-date=6 February 2023}}
• Thomas Osborne Roberts 1879-1948 lived in Ysbyty Ifan. In his time, he was one of Wales's most cherished and admired musicians.

Ysbyty Ifan has a primary school with two classrooms and a cafeteria. The village also has a rugby union pitch with a children's playground.

The Ysbyty Ifan Estate is the largest single estate looked after by the National Trust. The area of the estate is over 8,000 hectares and includes moorland, river valleys and hill farms. The Migneint is an area of moorland and bog designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).{{cite web|title=Ysbyty Ifan|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ysbyty-ifan/|publisher=National Trust}} The Trust is responsible for a number of holiday cottages within the estate including Foel-Gopyn, which is off the grid.

There are also a number of other places of interest near Ysbyty Ifan, so the area attracts a large number of visitors including walkers,{{cite web|title=Ysbyty Ifan and Cwm Eidda walk|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356404329868/|publisher=National Trust}} especially during the summer months.

Ysbyty Ifan is part of the Uwch Conwy ward for elections to Conwy County Borough Council.

File:Ysbyty Ifan - geograph.org.uk - 34544.jpg|Ysbyty Ifan

File:Bridge over the Conwy - geograph.org.uk - 1170462.jpg|Bridge over the Conwy

File:Effigies, Ysbyty Ifan - geograph.org.uk - 1170458.jpg|Effigies in the church of Rhys Fawr and Lowri, and their son Robert

File:Bryn Gwyn - geograph.org.uk - 962307.jpg|Bryn Gwyn

File:Ysbyty Ifan, watermill - geograph.org.uk - 55285.jpg|Ysbyty Ifan watermill

File:Ysbyty Ifan Primary School - geograph.org.uk - 1170470.jpg|Ysbyty Ifan Primary School

File:Foel-Gopyn. - geograph.org.uk - 296340.jpg|Foel-Gopyn Cottage

File:B4409 to Ysbyty Ifan - geograph.org.uk - 61328.jpg|Moorland of Migneint (on B4409 looking NE)

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Ysbyty Ifan}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150725170406/http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/a-sense-of-place/community-project-at-ysbyty-ifan/ysbyty-ifan-timeline Ysbyty Ifan timeline]
• [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/21139 A Vision of Britain Through Time]
• [https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wales/ysbyty-ifan-conwy British Listed Buildings]
• [http://www.clwydfhs.org.uk/eglwysi/ysbytyifan.htm Clwyd Churches]
• [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/DEN/Ysbytyifan/index.html Genuki]
• [https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/SH8448 Geograph]
• [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=7&c=llannefydd+community&d=16&r=1&i=1001&m=0&s=1366075358298&enc=1&areaSearchText=Ysbyty+Ifan&areaSearchType=16&extendedList=true&searchAreas= Office for National Statistics]

{{Conwy}}

Category:Communities in Conwy County Borough