City in Gwynedd, Wales
Bangor
A city so small you could walk across it in minutes, Bangor beat Napoli at football, helped name Bangor, Maine, and has a pier reaching out into the Menai Strait.
Key information
- County
- Gwynedd
- Nation
- Wales
- Population
- about 18,800 (2011 Census)
- Known for
- Cathedral, Bangor University, Garth Pier, Menai Strait views
- What locals are called
- Bangorians
- Famous people
- St Deiniol, Owain Gwynedd, Thomas Telford, Lord Penrhyn
- Football clubs
- Bangor 1876 (founded 2019); Bangor City, of 1962 fame, became inactive after leaving the Cymru North in 2022
About Bangor
The city that helped name Bangor, Maine
In 1791 a minister called Seth Noble went to register a new settlement in what is now Maine. According to the story, he was meant to put down the name Sunbury, but his favourite hymn tune was called Bangor, so that is what he wrote instead. The Maine city has been Bangor ever since. The tune itself is named after the Welsh city, which makes this small place on the Menai Strait an unlikely influence on the map of New England. The name is much older than the hymn. It comes from the Welsh word for a wattle fence or plaited enclosure, a fair description of the early monastery that grew up here.
A saint, a cathedral and two Welsh princes
Bangor's story begins around 525, when St Deiniol founded a monastic community on the site. Bangor Cathedral is still there, and Christians have worshipped on the spot for around 1,500 years, which makes it one of the oldest places of continuous worship in Britain. Two great princes of Gwynedd, Gruffudd ap Cynan and his son Owain Gwynedd, were buried here in the 12th century. The building you see today has medieval walls with a large Victorian restoration by George Gilbert Scott. Inside is the Mostyn Christ, a carved wooden figure from the late Middle Ages. Outside, the Bible Garden grows plants mentioned in scripture. Bangor is among the smallest cities in the UK. A cathedral and a long record of religious life explain why it counts as a city at all.
Students on the hill, a pier on the water
Bangor University was founded in 1884 as the University College of North Wales. Its main building, designed by Henry Hare and finished in 1911, looks down over the town from the hill. Students make up a large share of the population during term time, and they give a small city a lively social scene. The Pontio arts and innovation centre, opened in 2016, is part of that. Down on the shore stands Garth Pier, opened in 1896. It runs about 460 metres out into the Strait, which makes it one of the longest piers in Wales. It is Grade II* listed, with a row of Victorian kiosks along it and a view across to Anglesey. Just along the water, Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge has carried traffic to Anglesey since 1826. At the time it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 176 metres.
Slate money and the longest strike
Behind Bangor's Victorian look is slate. The Penrhyn Quarry above nearby Bethesda was one of the biggest in the world, and its slate went down the line to Port Penrhyn on the Bangor shore and out to roofs across the globe. The quarry's owner, Lord Penrhyn, was among the most powerful men in North Wales. His quarrymen fought him in the Penrhyn Quarry strike and lockout of 1900–1903, often described as the longest industrial dispute in British history. Penrhyn Castle, a huge neo-Norman mansion on the edge of the city, was paid for by the slate fortune. It stands as a monument to a very uneven era.
The night Bangor City took on Napoli
Bangor City FC's finest hour came in 1962. The club had won the Welsh Cup and so entered the European Cup Winners' Cup, where they were drawn against Napoli, a big Italian side. At Farrar Road, Bangor won the first leg 2–0. Napoli won the return 3–1 in Italy, which forced a play-off at Highbury in London. Napoli took it 2–1, but the Welsh part-timers had come within a whisker of a famous victory. Bangor City played in Europe several times after that, but withdrew from the Cymru North in 2022 and became inactive. Bangor 1876, founded in 2019, is now the city's principal active football club.
What to eat and what to say
Welsh is an important part of Bangor's life and you will hear it on the high street and in the cafes, though fewer than half of residents speak it. Several other communities in Gwynedd are far more strongly Welsh-speaking. The Strait provides Menai mussels, and the nearby farms give lamb. Nearby Anglesey sea salt, especially Halen Môn, is a good local souvenir. Bara brith, the tea loaf, goes well with a cup of tea after a walk along the pier. The Storiel museum and gallery tells the story of the area's people, from the monks to the quarrymen.