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<< Our Photo Pages >> Ysbyty Cynfyn - Stone Circle in Wales in Ceredigion

Submitted by Johnny on Sunday, 22 September 2002  Page Views: 17902

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Ysbyty Cynfyn Alternative Name: Ysptty Cynfyn
Country: Wales County: Ceredigion Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Aberystwyth  Nearest Village: Ponterwyd
Map Ref: SN75257908  Landranger Map Number: 135
Latitude: 52.395479N  Longitude: 3.834825W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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SumDoood would like to visit

elad13 visited on 19th May 2021 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Marko visited on 27th Jul 2017 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 5

PAB Ogham myf AngieLake have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 3.5 Access: 4.5

Ysbyty Cynfyn Stone Circle
Ysbyty Cynfyn Stone Circle submitted by Johnny : Ysbyty Cynfyn "Stone Circle" (SN 752 791) This readily accessible site is situated alongside the A4120 running south from Ponterwyd towards Devil's Bridge. The circle is not marked as an antiquity on recent OS maps but the church itself is easily found. Despite recent dissenting opinion, it has generally been accepted that this is an example of the early Christian Church adopting an a... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Despite recent dissenting opinion, it has generally been accepted that this is an example of the early Christian Church adopting an ancient site, in this case an embanked Bronze Age stone circle, presumably in an attempt to "desanctify" or Christianise it.

The roughly circular churchyard has a surrounding wall into which are set five upright stones, at least one of which is almost certainly in its original position (see separate submission). Some of the other stones are not sunk into socket holes and have masonry below implying that they may not be in their original positions.

Regardless of whether this site represents the authentic remains of a Bronze Age stone circle, Ysbyty Cynfyn is well worth visiting: it is an impressive and evocative monument in its own right.

This readily accessible site is situated alongside the A4120 running south from Ponterwyd towards Devil's Bridge. The circle is not marked as an antiquity on recent OS maps but the church itself is easily found.

For more information see Coflein NPRN 303658. The Journal of Antiquities also includes an entry for Ysbyty Cynfyn Stone Circle, Powys, Wales, which gives us background information about the church and the monastic hospital run by the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. The Journal also includes a list of reference sources for further information.
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Ysbyty Cynfyn Standing Stone
Ysbyty Cynfyn Standing Stone submitted by Johnny : Ysbyty Cynfyn Standing Stone (SN 752 791) It is now hard to determine whether or not this site is genuinely the remains of a stone circle (cf other submission). The sheer size of this massive monolith, however, suggest that it may be in its original position, unlike the others set in the church wall. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by howe : View of two of the most obvious stones in the bank 1972 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by PAB : The beautiful setting of Ysbyty Cynfyn, very well worth visiting for its peace and unusual features, despite the uncertainty about some of its prehistoric credentials. Photo: May 2015 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by PAB : The second largest of the three stones within the circumference of the churchyard - unlike the largest, this is not believed to be deeply 'rooted', leading to the assumption that it was moved here. Photo: May 2015 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by PAB : The largest stone, viewed from outside the churchyard. Photo: May 2015

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by PAB : Largest of the stones now embedded in the wall of the churchyard. As many people have indicated, this is widely considered to have been an original feature of a stone circle within which the church was established. Photo: May 2015

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by LesPaul2012 : Ysbyty Cynfyn #1424 Photography by MADDEN An Avebury obsessive, MADDEN is now working through The Modern Antiquarian armed with his Nikon and pendulum... Prints and licensing available 2012@2012.org.uk

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Ian_Pegler : A close up of one of the stones in the church wall at Ysbyty Cynfyn. (2 comments)

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine : 2008

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine : Photo taken in 2008

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Antonine

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Postman : Another time apparently.

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Postman : You close your eyes for a millennium or two and some damn fool walls you in.

Ysbyty Cynfyn
Ysbyty Cynfyn submitted by Postman : The big stone

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"Ysbyty Cynfyn" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
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Re: Ysbyty Cynfyn by Anne T on Monday, 18 September 2017
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The Coflein 2010 entry for this site (sadly) lists this as a YSBYTTY CYNFYN, DISCREDITED STONE CIRCLE;YSBYTY CYNFYN STONE CIRCLE, with a very short description: "Suggested embanked stone circle around the churchyard thought to be the remains of the churchyard wall demolished in 1901."

They add the source for the full documentation and investigation can be found at "Briggs, C.S. 1979, 'Ysbyty Cynfyn churchyard wall', Arch. Camb. 128, 138-46. Also, Cardiganshire County History Volume 1, 1994, pages 139-142." A second entry for the church, recorded in 2014, ST JOHN'S CHURCH;ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, YSPYTTY-CYNFYN;YSBYTY CYNFYN, says: "St John's Church is situated within a curvilinear churchyard some 40m north of the Nant Ysbytty Cynfun. The churchyard has three large standing stones set into the southeast curve of its boundary, which may represent the remains of a prehistoric stone circle. It has also been suggested that the stones, first recorded in 1833, were placed here as a nineteenth-century folly."
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Re: Ysbyty Cynfyn by Marko on Tuesday, 01 August 2017
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Visited on Thursday 27/07/2017.

Have been aware of this site for close on 20 years and finaly got to visit.

Until recently i believed that the 5 stones were all 'original' and were incorporated into the Church wall when the site was Christianised.However - I now personally subscribe to the view that the only original stone is the 'tall' one on the right hand side as you look at the church (from the front) ,with the other 4 stones being 'interlopers'!

The Church was open and there was tea/coffee/biscuits and bottled water set out at the back, with a donation box being available.An unexpected and lovely find when you've been out walking for a couple of hours. Also pleased to report that the Church yard had obviously been tidied up and was being looked after.There was no sign of the undergrowth that i've seen on many photos obscuring the tall stone.
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Re: Ysbyty Cynfyn by AngieLake on Sunday, 09 November 2008
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In a guide book 'Llanbadarn Fawr Through the Centuries' purchased at Llanbadarn Fawr church, under the title 'The History of Llanbadarn Fawr', is the following quote:
"In his history of Llanbadarn Fawr, E. G. Bowen emphasised the role played by the physical environment in the story of this area. The earliest neolithic settlers came over the sea and have left traces of their presence in 'Y Garreg Fawr' in the middle of the village and in the stone circle, within which nearby Ysbyty Cynfyn church now stands. Their successors, who built Pen Dinas, the biggest of the many hill forts in the area, were most active in the first half of the 1st century B.C.."
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Re: Ysbyty Cynfyn by biggs1968 on Thursday, 09 January 2003
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I visited this site on Sunday, January 5th, 2003 with my wife and 2 young boys. It was about 3.30pm and the sun was just going down behind the hills.

We almost drove past the site but, for anyone else visiting, the church is set back from the road, with a house just before the church. It is set in gorgeous countryside, overlooking hills.

The large stone set into the church wall is very impressive and, my intuition tells me, is in it's original position.

The stone seems to face north-south and, as the sun went down in the west, it seemed to be perfectly in line with the stone's edge.

A perfect place to be on what I believe was the old pagan winter solstice eve (before the christians decided to move it to the 25th December and call it christmas!).
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