Kyffin Williams studied at the Slade art school, London, in the 1940s

Sir Kyffin Williams' colour painting of Harlech Castle in Gwynedd raised �4,500 towards the cost of Ty Gobaith, a new hospice due to open at Ty'n y Groes, near Conwy, next year.

Altogether fundraisers brought in more than �8,000 in the charity auction.

Ty Gobaith will be the first children's hospice to care for youngsters throughout north Wales.

The five-bed unit will allow terminally ill children and their families to get respite care closer to home, saving them the journey to Hope House, a sister hospice in Oswestry, Shropshire.

Charity fundraiser Eluned Yaxley, from Ruthin, said the Kyffin Williams picture was bought by a local man from Denbighshire who did not wish to be named.

The campaign to build Ty Gobaith began in 1990

"The picture will stay in north Wales," she said.

"It was a local gentleman who bought it on the night."

The auction was organised by the Ruthin branch of hospice fundraisers.

In the past 12 months they have raised �18,000 for the charity.

The hospice at the former Conwy Valley Nurseries site is due to open in 2004 and a target of �2m has been set to pay for the building and furnishing of the hospice.

It is estimated it will then cost about �300,000 a year to run Ty Gobaith and up to 95 per cent of the money will be sought by the fund-raising team.