9. The City of Bangor, North Wales - its University, Cathedral and Victorian Pier

 Wales Index

The pictures scenes from this area of North Wales feature: Bangor University, Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, and Bangor Pier. We normally travel to Ireland from North Yorkshire via the A55 coast road and have explored many places en route to Holyhead and the boat to Dublin (Stena Line or Irish Ferries). One place we hadn't explored is Bangor (this page from June 2022) and below are links to other places on the North Wales coast we have visited.

See also North Wales pages

 4. The North Wales coast road to Holyhead and the ferry to Dublin, Ireland

5a. Holyhead - town, station and Roman Fort on Anglesey

5b. St Cybi's Church, Holyhead, Anglesey

5c. Penmaenmawr on the North Wales Coast

6a. Conwy (1)  The Town 

6b. Conwy (2) Conwy Castle

7a. Llandudno Town

7b. The Great Orme above Llandudno

8. South Stack area on the island of Anglesey (Lighthouse and Coastal Retreat cottages)

Bangor University and the origin of Bangor

Views of Bangor University from the shopping centre of Bangor, Wales

Bangor University (in Welsh: Prifysgol Bangor) is a public university in Bangor, North Wales.

Bangor University received its Royal Charter in 1885 and was one of the founding institutions of the federal University of Wales which was officially known as University College of North Wales (UCNW; Welsh: Coleg Prifysgol Gogledd Cymru).

Bangor University was later called University of Wales, Bangor (UWB; Welsh: Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor).

Bangor University became independent from the University of Wales in 2007 and now has around 10,000 students studying a huge variety of undergraduate courses.

Bangor originates from the missionary work of a man of noble birth called Deiniol, having been granted land from the King of Gwynedd.

An enclose was constructed using a fence system described as a 'bangor' and the name stuck!

Deiniol built his church for himself and his followers, all of whom were missionaries, going around the area evangelising to encourage non-Christians to join the church community.

Therefore, the distant fore-runner of the present Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor, was a Celtic monastery.

Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor

  The tower and west entrance of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor.

~AD 525 St Deiniol built his first cell on this site in Bangor. In ~546 St Deiniol is consecrated Bishop and the church becomes a cathedral. St Deiniol dies ~572. Sometime in the period 631-634 Bangor is sacked (according to the Annals of Ulster). Although the cathedral continued its work the Vikings robbed and burnt it in 1073 (note this is seven years after the Norman Conquest victory at Hastings in 1066!).

Around 1100 Gruffudd ap Cynan regained the territory of Gwynedd and together with Bishop David, had the cathedral rebuilt only to be destroyed by King John's men in 1211, but rebuilding did continue over the next few centuries.

The south transept (on the right of the central tower) was completed around 1275 and by ~1300 the east end north transepts were also completed and a small Lady Chapel added to the left of the south transept.

Looking east down the nave and on the right is the earl 15th century stone font engraved with the Diocesan Coat of Arms.

In 1309 the central tower of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor burnt down, but prior to this in the 1300s the nave was extended to its present size.

In 1402 parts of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor where destroyed in the Glyndwr revolt, but by 1480 extensive rebuilding was going on.

In the 1510s the present arcade and clerestory were built and by 1532 the western tower was completed.

From 1870 to 1880 extensive restoration of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor was done under the guidance of the famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, who also designed Liverpool Cathedral:  The Anglican Cathedral - The Church of England Church to Christ the King

In 1966 the central tower of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor was raised to its present height and a pyramidal cap added and in 1987 major restoration of the outside stonework and roofs were undertaken, this work continues to the present day.

 

Looking towards the altar frontal (four candles), rood screen (designed by Oldrid Scott), the chapter stalls of the choir, altar and east window of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor.

The chapter stalls and east window of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor.

Left: The Crossing under the central eastern tower. Right: The altar and east window.

The tomb of Owain the Great, Prince of Gwynedd (1100 to 1170) in Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor

Some of the many fine stained glass window panels in Saint Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor.

There are some great carvings on the choir chapter stalls including musicians and grotesque heads of animals.

Bangor Pier

Bangor Pier, correctly named Garth Pier is a Grade II listed structure near the City of Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales.

Garth Pier is 1,500 feet in long, it is the second-longest pier in Wales, and the ninth longest in the whole of the British Isles.

The entrance to the Bangor Garth Pier and looking down it as it juts out north-west into Menai Straits separating the mainland from the island of Anglesey.

The Bangor Garth Pier was designed by J.J. Webster of Westminster, London, the 1,550 feet (470 m) pier has cast-iron columns, with the rest of the metal structure made in steel, including the handrails.

The wooden deck has a series of octagonal kiosks with roofs, plus street lighting, which lead to a pontoon landing stage for pleasure steamers on the Menai Strait.

The Bangor Garth Pier was opened to the public on 14 May 1896, the ceremony was performed by George Douglas-Pennant, 2nd Baron Penrhyn.

The pontoon handled the pleasure steamers of the Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Company to/from Blackpool, Liverpool and Douglas, Isle of Man.

In 1914, the cargo steamer SS Christiana broke free from the pontoon overnight, and caused considerable damage to the neck of the pier. A resulting gap to the pontoon was temporarily bridged by the Royal Engineers, which remained in place until 1921 due to the onset of World War I.

The Bangor Garth Pier has survive threats of demolition in the 1970s and seems in good condition and well worth a visit (to the cafe at the end!).
 

Looking west along the North Wales coast from the Bangor Garth Pier.

Looking landwards south down the Bangor Garth Pier with the Welsh Hills in the distance

Looking east along the Menai Straits from the Bangor Garth Pier.

Remnants of the mooring pontoon position for past tourist steamers of the Garth Pier.

The cafe at the end of the Bangor Garth Pier.

View landwards of the Welsh Hills of North Wales from the cafe of the Bangor Garth Pier.

Looking beyond the pier cafe of the Bangor Garth Pier across the Menai Straits to the island of Anglesey

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