Bangor (, ; ) is a cathedral city and community in Gwynedd, Wales. Historically part of Caernarfonshire, the community had a population of 15,060 at the 2021 census, and the built-up area had a population of 16,990. Landmarks include Bangor Cathedral, Bangor University and Garth Pier. The Britannia and Menai Suspension bridges connect the city to the Isle of Anglesey.
History
The origins of the city date back to the founding of a monastic establishment on the site of Bangor Cathedral by the Celtic saint Deiniol in the early 6th century AD. itself is an old Welsh word for a wattled enclosure,Wade-Evans, Arthur. Welsh Medieval Laws. Oxford Univ., 1909. Accessed 31 January 2013. such as the one that originally surrounded the cathedral site. The present cathedral is a somewhat more recent building and has been extensively modified throughout the centuries. While the building itself is not the oldest, and certainly not the biggest, the bishopric of Bangor is one of the oldest in the UK.
In 973, Iago, ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, was usurped by Hywel, and requested help from Edgar, King of England, to restore his position. Edgar, with an army, went to Bangor and encouraged both Iago and Hywel to share the leadership of the realm. Asserting overall control however, Edgar confirmed liberties and endowments of the Bishop of Bangor, granting land and gifts. From 1284 until the 15th century, Bangor bishops were granted several charters permitting them to hold fairs and govern the settlement, later ones also confirming them as Lord of the manor.
Bangor remained a small settlement until the start of the 18th century. The main mail coach route from London to Dublin via Holyhead passed to the east of Bangor, crossing the Lavan Sands to reach a ferry across the Menai Strait to Beaumaris. In 1718, a sub-postmaster was appointed based in Bangor and the mail coach route was diverted to pass through Bangor on its way to the alternative Porthaethwy ferry. Being on the mail coach route considerably increased the trade passing through Bangor and encouraged its growth. Development was further spurred by slate mining at nearby Bethesda, beginning in the 1770s by Richard Pennant, becoming one of the largest slate quarries in the world. The route between London and Holyhead was much improved by Thomas Telford building the A5 road; it runs through the centre of the city and over the Menai Suspension Bridge, which was also completed to his designs in 1826. Bangor railway station opened in 1848.
Bangor's status grew due to further industry, such as shipbuilding, as well as travel, not just from Telford's road, but through tourism mainly from Liverpool via steamboat.
Friars School was founded as a free grammar school in 1557 and the University College of North Wales (now Bangor University) was founded in 1884. In 1877, the former became a school ship, moored on the Menai Strait at Bangor and had 260 pupils. Closed after the end of hostilities of World War I, she was sold for scrap and broken up in 1919.
In World War II, parts of the BBC evacuated to Bangor during the worst of the Blitz. The BBC continue to maintain facilities in the city (see Media).
City status
Bangor is the only place in Wales which continues to hold city status by ancient prescriptive right, due to its long-standing cathedral and past privileges granted. St Davids had also been a city by prescriptive right, but lost its status in the 1880s and was only formally restored to city status in 1994. In 1927, a government list was drawn up detailing which settlements were cities, with Bangor being included as the only medieval Welsh city with extant rights.
By means of various measures, Bangor is one of the smallest cities in the UK. Using 2011 statistics, comparing Bangor to: Population of city council areas in Wales, is third smallest (18,322 residents) with St Davids (1,841) and St Asaph (3,355). City council area size within Wales, is the second smallest city () behind St Asaph (). Urban areas within Wales, is third smallest, placed () behind St Davids () and St Asaph () City council area size within the UK, is fourth smallest after the City of London (), Wells and St Asaph. Urban areas within the UK, is fifth smallest. Population of city council areas within the UK, is sixth smallest.
Geography Bangor lies on the coast of North Wales near the Menai Strait, which separates the island of Anglesey from Gwynedd, the town of Menai Bridge lying just over the strait. The combined population of the two amounted to 22,184 at the 2011 census. Bangor Mountain at lies to the east of the main part of the city, but the large housing estate of Maesgeirchen, originally built as council housing, is to the east of the mountain near Port Penrhyn. Another ridge rises to the north of the High Street, dividing the city centre from the south shore of the Menai Strait; this area is known as Upper Bangor ().
The Bangor community area includes the suburbs of Garth and Hirael both immediately north of the city centre; Upper Bangor north west of the centre; West End, Glan-adda, Bryn Llwyd and Coed Mawr to the south west; Y Maes to the south; Glantraeth, Tan-y-bryn and Maesgeirchen are to the east. The suburbs of Penhros-garnedd, Treborth and Minffordd are within the community of Pentir adjoining the city to the south and south west. Port Penrhyn and the tiny estate of Plas-y-coed, adjoin the city within the Llandygai community.
Bangor has two rivers within its boundaries. The River Adda is a largely culverted watercourse which only appears above ground at its western extremities near the Faenol estate, whilst the River Cegin enters Port Penrhyn at the eastern edge of the city. Port Penrhyn was an important port in the 19th century, exporting the slates produced at the Penrhyn Quarry.
Governance
There are two tiers of local government covering Bangor, at community (city) and county level: Bangor City Council (Cyngor Dinas Bangor) and Gwynedd Council (Cyngor Gwynedd). The city council meets at Penrhyn Hall on Fford Gwynedd and has its offices in the adjoining building, which was built in 1866 as the Diocesan Registry.
In 2021, Owen Hurcum was unanimously elected as mayor, making history as the youngest-ever mayor in Wales at 22, as well as the first ever non-binary mayor of any UK city.
In 2012, Bangor was the first city in the UK to impose a night-time curfew on under-16s throughout its centre. The six-month trial was brought in by Gwynedd Council and North Wales police, but opposed by civil rights groups.
Bangor lies within the Bangor Aberconwy constituency for elections to the UK parliament. Bangor Conwy Môn is the constituency for elections to the Senedd.
Administrative history Bangor was an ancient parish, which historically included a large rural area to the south and south-west of the city itself. The city was sometimes described as an ancient borough and was said to hold certain privileges. However, Bangor had no municipal charters and any corporation it may have had in medieval times did not endure. A government survey of boroughs in 1835 noted that it was plausible that Bangor may once have had a corporation, but found no evidence of any such corporation having operated for many years. Instead, Bangor was governed by the parish vestry and the Bishop of Bangor in his capacity as lord of the manor until the 19th century.
In 1832, a parliamentary borough of Bangor was established as one of the boroughs which made up the Carnarvon Boroughs constituency. The area of the parliamentary borough of Bangor was made a local board district in 1850, with an elected local board to govern the city. Over time, the local board gained more powers for managing local affairs, but by the 1870s it was seen as ineffective. A petition was made for the city to be formally incorporated as a municipal borough, which would give it more extensive powers of local government. A municipal charter incorporating the city was duly granted in 1883. The Local Government Act 1894 directed that parishes could no longer straddle borough boundaries and so the part of Bangor parish outside the borough became the separate parish of Pentir.
The municipal borough of Bangor was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. A community called Bangor was created instead, covering the area of the abolished borough. District-level functions passed to Arfon Borough Council, which was in turn replaced in 1996 by Gwynedd Council. As part of the 1974 reforms, Bangor's city status, which had been held by the abolished borough, was transferred to the new community.
Demography Bangor is ethnically diverse, with 85% of the population identifying as White British, followed by 8% Asian or Arab, 3% Mixed Race, 2% Black and 2% other ethnic. This makes Bangor 85% white and 15% non-white, which means the city has one of the highest ethnicity populations in Wales for its population of over 15,000.
In religion, Christianity was followed by 8,816 residents, Islam followed by 892 residents, and 6,526 residents not identifying with any religion or identifying with other religions. Christianity is the most prominent religion but the second largest group followed no religion. In 2021, Muslims in Bangor complained that restrictions imposed in the city had left women unable to worship at the mosque during Ramadan, while arrangements, such as outdoor prayers, had been made in other parts of Wales.
Transport Bangor railway station is a stop on the North Wales Coast Line, between , and . Services are operated by Transport for Wales.
Bus services are provided predominantly by Arriva Buses Wales; routes connect the city with Holyhead, Caernarfon and Llandudno. Gwynfor Coaches, Lewis Y Llan and O.R.Jones also run services the city.
The A5 runs through the centre of Bangor; it connects Holyhead, Shrewsbury and London. The A55 runs immediately to the south of Bangor, providing a route to Holyhead and Chester.
The nearest airport with international flights is Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which is by road.
Bangor lies at the western end of the North Wales Path, a long-distance coastal walking route to Prestatyn. Cycle routes NCR 5, NCR 8 and NCR 85 of the National Cycle Network pass through the city.
Culture Heritage and nature conservation The head office of Gwynedd Archaeological Trust is located on Garth Road. The Trust was established in 1974 and carries out surveys, outreach and education, and excavations across Gwynedd and Anglesey.
The North Wales Wildlife Trust is also based on Garth Road, and manages the nature reserves at Eithinog and Nantporth.
Music and arts
Classical music is performed regularly in Bangor, with concerts given in the Powis and Prichard-Jones Halls as part of the university's Music at Bangor concert series. The city is also home to Storiel (the new name for the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery), which is located in Bangor Town Hall. A new arts centre complex, Pontio, the replacement for Theatr Gwynedd, was scheduled for completion in the summer of 2014, but the opening was delayed until November 2015.
Bangor hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1890, 1902, 1915, 1931, 1940 (through the medium of radio), 1943, 1971 and 2005, as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1874.
Garth Pier
Garth Pier is the second longest pier in Wales and the ninth longest in the British Isles, at in length. It was opened in 1893 and was a promenade pier for the amusement of holiday-makers, who could stroll among the pinnacle-roofed kiosks.