Pont Minllyn

Last updated

Pont Minllyn
Pont Minllyn, November 2024.jpg
Pont Minllyn viewed from the north
Coordinates 52°42′38″N3°41′21″W / 52.7106°N 3.6891°W / 52.7106; -3.6891
Crosses River Dyfi
Locale Gwynedd, Wales
Heritage status Grade II listed, Scheduled monument
History
Opened17th century
Location
Pont Minllyn
Pont Minllyn in the foreground viewed from the south Packhorse bridge, Minllyn - geograph.org.uk - 1461180.jpg
Pont Minllyn in the foreground viewed from the south

Pont Minllyn (also known as Pont-y-Ffinant, Pontrusk Bridge or the Packhorse Bridge) is a bridge spanning the River Dyfi, south of the village of Dinas Mawddwy, in Gwynedd, Wales. It was built by John Davies, rector of Mallwyd between 1603 and 1644 and a famed Welsh scholar who wrote a Welsh grammar and worked on early Welsh translations of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. Pont Minllyn was designed as a packhorse bridge to facilitate the transportation of goods. It is a Grade II listed building and a Scheduled monument.

Contents

History and description

Dr John Davies (c. 1567–1644) was born in Llanferres, Denbighshire, and graduated from Jesus College, Oxford, in 1594. In 1604 he was appointed rector at Mallwyd, Gwynedd, where he served until his death in 1644. He is believed to have been the main editor and reviser of the 1620 edition of the Welsh translation of the Bible and the 1621 edition of the Welsh translation of the Book of Common Prayer. [1] The Gwynedd Pevsner records him as having paid for the construction of three bridges in the vicinity of Mallwyd. [a] [3]

Pont Minllyn was designed as a packhorse bridge to assist in the transportation of goods. [4] It consists of two arches, with a central pier in the river, [5] constructed from stone rubble. The bridge is no longer open to the public, having lost its roadway, and its span is now turfed, Pevsner describing the "grassy arches of marvellous delicacy". [6] Cadw dates the bridge to around the 1630s, [4] but Pevsner suggests it is a later replacement for a wooden bridge constructed for Davies. [b] [6] The Ancient Monuments website suggests that the original wooden bridge predates Davies, noting that it is shown on a map of 1578 in the Atlas of the Counties of England and Wales produced by Christopher Saxton. [7] Pont Minllyn is both a Grade II listed structure and a Scheduled monument. [8]

The bridge is now managed by the Welsh Government historic environment agency Cadw. It is not visible from the adjacent A470 but can be seen from the adjacent footbridge and from a viewing platform to the south.

Footnotes

  1. The Gwynedd Pevsner records Pont-Y-Cleifion [2] as "the only survivor of three bridges built by Dr John Davies". [3]
  2. Pevser's details for Pont Minllyn appear in the entry for Dinas Mawddwy rather than that for Mallwyd, and the bridge is termed Pont-Y-Ffinant. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Davies (Mallwyd)</span> Welsh Anglican priest and scholar (c. 1567 – 1644)

John Davies was one of the leading scholars of the late Renaissance in Wales. He wrote a Welsh grammar and dictionary. He was also a translator and editor and an ordained minister of the Church of England. His name is traditionally associated with the parish of Mallwyd, Gwynedd, where he was rector from 1604 until his death in 1644.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Dyfi</span> River in Mid Wales

The River Dyfi, also known as the River Dovey, is an approximately 30-mile (48-kilometre) long river in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallwyd</span> Village in Gwynedd, Wales

Mallwyd is a small village at the most southern end of Gwynedd, Wales, in the Mawddwy community, in the valley of the River Dyfi. It lies on the A470 approximately halfway between Dolgellau and Machynlleth, and forms the junction of the A458 towards Welshpool. The nearest villages are Dinas Mawddwy, two miles to the north, and Aberangell a similar distance to the south. The River Dugoed flows into the River Dyfi near the village. The Cambrian Way long-distance walk passes through the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinas Mawddwy</span> Town in Wales

Dinas Mawddwy is a town in the community of Mawddwy in south-east Gwynedd, north Wales. It lies within the Snowdonia National Park, but just to the east of the main A470, and consequently many visitors pass the town by. Its population is roughly 600. The town marks the junction of the unclassified road to Llanuwchllyn which climbs up through the mountains to cross Bwlch y Groes at its highest point, the second highest road pass in Wales. This minor road also provides the closest access to the mountain Aran Fawddwy and is the nearest settlement to Craig Cywarch.

The Mawddwy Railway was a rural line in the Dyfi Valley in mid-Wales that connected Dinas Mawddwy with a junction at Cemmaes Road railway station on the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway section of the Cambrian Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llangelynnin, Gwynedd</span> Village in Gwynedd, Wales

Llangelynnin is a small village and community near Tywyn, Gwynedd, Wales. Although the village is usually known as Llangelynnin in English, the community name previously used was Llangelynin, though it is now also spelt "Llangelynnin".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mawddwy</span> Human settlement in Wales

Mawddwy is a community in the county of Gwynedd, Wales, and is 88.3 miles (142.2 km) from Cardiff and 172.8 miles (278.0 km) from London. In 2011 the population of Mawddwy was 622 with 59.5% of them able to speak Welsh. It is one of the largest and most sparsely populated communities in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhiwlas, Llandderfel</span> Grade II registered historic park and garden in Gwynedd, Wales

Rhiwlas is an estate about 1 km (0.62 mi) to the north of the town of Bala, Gwynedd, Wales. It has been in the possession of the Price family for over four centuries. Rhiwlas Hall, a Regency extravaganza, was demolished in the 1950s and replaced by a smaller house designed by Clough Williams-Ellis. Many of the estate buildings remain and are listed structures, and the hall's gardens and landscaped park, landscaped by William Emes, are listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerusalem Chapel, Bethesda</span> Chapel in Bethesda, Gwynedd, Wales

Jerusalem Chapel, Bethesda, Gwynedd, Wales is a Presbyterian Church of Wales chapel built in 1841–1842 and reconstructed in 1872–1875. Of colossal size, the chapel can accommodate 980 people in its horseshoe amphitheatre. Still an active chapel, it is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hafotty</span> House in Llansadwrn, Anglesey

Hafotty, Llansadwrn, Anglesey, Wales is a medieval hall house dating from the mid 14th century. Described in the Gwynedd Pevsner as "one of Anglesey's classic small medieval houses", Hafotty is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig y Mor</span> House in Anglesey, Wales

Craig y Mor is a house overlooking Treaddur Bay on Anglesey, Wales. The house dates from the early 20th century and has always been privately owned. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulkeley Hotel</span> Hotel in Anglesey, Wales

The Bulkeley Hotel stands on the seafront in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales. It was designed by the architectural partnership of Joseph Hansom and Edward Welch for the Beaumaris Corporation. The development was a central part of the corporation's plans to reposition Beaumaris as a fashionable seaside resort in response to its declining maritime trade. It is designated a Grade I listed building, and remains in operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Benedict's Church, Gyffin</span> Church in Conwy County Borough, Wales

St Benedict's Church is an active parish church in Gyffin, Conwy, Conwy County Borough, Wales. Formerly a village, and now a suburb of the town, Gyffin lies immediately south of Conwy on the south bank of Afon Gyffin. Cadw records that the present church dates from c.1300, although possibly with earlier origins. The church is designated a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Abbey ruins, Bardsey Island</span> Abbey in Gwynedd, Wales

The ruins of the Abbey of St Mary, stand at the northern end of Bardsey Island, south-west of the Lleyn Peninsula, in Gwynedd, Wales. The site has had religious importance from at least the 6th century when Saint Cadfan founded an abbey there. In the following centuries the island became an important place of pilgrimage and 20,000 saints are reputedly buried on the island. By the end of the Middle Ages the abbey had declined in importance and, following the Dissolution of the monasteries, fell into ruin. In the 18th century, more substantial remains were still standing, but by the 20th only the current remnant of a tower remained. The ruins are a Grade II* listed building and a scheduled monument. Three Celtic crosses set among the ruins are listed at Grade II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn, Gwynedd</span> Church in Gwynedd

St Iestyn's Church is an active parish church in Llaniestyn, Gwynedd, Wales. The village lies in the centre of the Llŷn Peninsula, west of Pwllheli and south-west of Caernarfon. Cadw records that the church dates from the 13th century. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Engan's Church, Llanengan</span> Church in Gwynedd

St Engan's Church is an active parish church in Llanengan, Gwynedd, Wales. The village lies in the south of the Llŷn Peninsula, south-west of Abersoch. Cadw records that the current church dates mainly from the 1530s, with 13th century origins. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Beuno's Church, Pistyll</span> Church in Gwynedd, Wales

St Beuno's Church is located just north-west of the village of Pistyll, Gwynedd, Wales. The church is dedicated to Beuno, a 7th-century Welsh saint. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Cawrdaf's Church, Abererch</span> Church in Gwynedd, Wales

St Cawrdaf's Church is located on the western edge of the village of Abererch, Gwynedd, Wales. The church is dedicated to Cawrdaf, a Welsh saint. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Derfel's Church, Llandderfel</span> Church in Gwynedd, Wales

St Derfel's Church is located on the northern edge of the village of Llandderfel, Gwynedd, Wales. The church is dedicated to Saint Derfel, a Welsh saint. Derfel is reputed to have lived in the 5th/6th century and been a warrior of King Arthur, and one of only seven of his knights who survived the Battle of Camlann, at which Arthur himself was killed. Derfel then became a monk and founded two churches, that at Llandderfel, and a chapel near Cwmbran in South Wales. In the Middle Ages, a pilgrimage cult developed around Derfel, and an effigy of his horse, the Ceffyl Derfel , is located in the church. The church was largely rebuilt in the early 1600s, although its origins go back to a pre-Norman clas. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary and St Egryn's Church, Llanegryn</span> Church in Gwynedd, Wales

St Mary and St Egryn's Church is located north of the village of Llanegryn, Gwynedd, Wales. The church is dedicated to Egryn, a Welsh saint and Saint Mary. The church has a notable rood screen, described as "among the best in Wales". It is a Grade I listed building.

References

  1. "Davies, John (Dr. John Davies of Mallwyd, c. 1567–1644)". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales . Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  2. Cadw. "Bridge west of Pont y Cleifion (Grade II) (5186)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 Haslam, Orbach & Voelcker 2009, p. 678.
  4. 1 2 "Pont Minllyn". Cadw. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  5. "Pont Minllyn (old Bridge); Pont-y-ffinnant (24194)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Haslam, Orbach & Voelcker 2009, p. 583.
  7. "Pont Minllyn, Mawddwy, Gwynedd". Ancient Monuments UK. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  8. Cadw. "Pont Minllyn (Grade II) (4759)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 29 July 2020.

Sources