The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
Please enter a number
There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Ysbyty Ifan is on the B4407 about 20km north east of Ffestiniog and 12km south east of Betws-y-Coed via the A5 and then the B class road. The church is on the south east side of the river in the centre of the village.
Reference
AA Route Planner OS Map 116 Cadw Listing Notice 137
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
The earlier church was demolished in 1858 and replaced by the simple church designed by George Benmore and opened in 1851.
Reference Buildings of Wales– Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 137
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
This is a small church built in the simple Early English style using snecked, roughly dressed grey/blue slatestone with brown freestone. It has steeply pitched roofs with stone-coped gable parapets and gable crosses. There is a nave, chancel, west bellcote and a north vestry. The large porch has plain stepped buttresses to the side, a double pointed-arched entrance, a slate-flagged floor, and a plain open roof. Its deeply recessed door has decorative ironwork.
Reference Buildings of Wales – Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 137
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The nave has a 5-bay arched-braced collar truss roof, the braces rise from below the wall plate sitting on moulded corbels. The south west floor is slate-flagged while there is raised planking beneath the pitch-pine pews which flank the central aisle. There is a step into the chancel beneath a large, pointed and chamfered arch. Above there is a similar 2-bay roof though with trefoil and quatrefoil piercings at the truss apex. The chancel has a geometric, tiled floor in red, black and yellow. The pulpit is octagonal of pitch-pine made in the Early English style and sits on a moulded base with a chamfered, broach-stopped pedestal, with blind trefoil-arched niches and a bracketed cornice. The octagonal font sits on a moulded base with an octagonal pedestal and a marble bowl, close by, on the floor is the medieval octagonal font bowl. At the west end of the church are three exceptionally fine but mutilated alabaster effigies dating from about 1530. These are believed to be of Rhys Fawr ap Meredith who was standard bearer to Henry Tudor at Bosworth Field, his wife Lowri and Robert ap Rhys who was their son, later Chaplain to Cardinal Wolsey and who, before his death in 1534, commissioned the effigies. The Gothic reading desk has triple-arched tracery decoration to the font. There are wrought iron altar rails and a simple Early English-style stone re-table with blind, gabled panels, oculi and foliage decorations. The stained glass; ‘Scenes from the Life of Christ’, 1861; ‘A modern commemorative window of the Order of St John of Jerusalem’; ‘The Passions of Christ’ c1863.
Buildings of Wales – Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 137 Stained Glass in Wales
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.