Bangor, Gwynedd

Infobox UK place
country = Wales
welsh_name =
constituency_welsh_assembly =
official_name = Bangor
latitude = 53.228
longitude = -4.128
population = 21,735 (2008 estimate)
unitary_wales = Gwynedd
lieutenancy_wales = Gwynedd
constituency_westminster = Conwy
post_town = BANGOR
postcode_district = LL57
postcode_area = LL
dial_code = 01248
os_grid_reference = SH580722
london_distance = 258.2 mi
cardiff_distance = 183.6 mi
map_type = Wales Gwynedd
Flagicon|WAL

Bangor, in Gwynedd, North Wales, is one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge the population is about 18,000. Also, according to the census, 46.6% of the population speak Welsh [(6,199 out of 13,310 people aged 3 and over spoke Welsh in the following wards: Deiniol, Marchog, Hirael, Garth, Menai, Glyder, Hendre, Dewi. [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/AreaListMapSelection.do 2001 Census] ] (despite most of the students coming from outside Wales).

Beginnings

The origins of the city date back to the founding of Bangor Cathedral by the Celtic saint Deiniol in the early 6th century AD. The name 'Bangor' itself comes from a Welsh word for a type of fenced-in enclosure, such as was originally on the site of the cathedral. 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 Britain. Another claim to fame is that Bangor allegedly has the longest High Street in Wales. Friars School was founded as a free grammar school in 1557, and Bangor University was founded in 1884.

Geography

Bangor is largely contained to the south by Bangor Mountain although the large housing estate of Maesgeirchen, originally built as council housing, is to the east of the toe of the mountain near to Port Penrhyn. The presence of Bangor Mountain casts a shadow across the High Street, Glan Adda and Hirael areas such that from November through to March some parts of the High Street in particular receive no direct sunlight as they lie in the shadow of the mountain. Another ridge rises to the north of the High Street, dividing the city centre from the Menai Strait; this area is known as Upper Bangor.

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 to 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.

Bangor lies at the western end of the North Wales Path, a 60 mile long-distance coastal walking route to Prestatyn. It is also on routes 5, 8 and 85 of the National Cycle Network.

Bangor railway station, which serves the city, is located on the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe to Holyhead.

Education

University & Colleges

* Bangor University [http://www.bangor.ac.uk/]
* Coleg Menai [http://www.coleg-menai.co.uk/]

econdary Schools

* Ysgol Friars [http://www.friars.gwynedd.sch.uk/]
* Ysgol Tryfan [http://www.tryfan.gwynedd.sch.uk/]

Primary Schools

* Ysgol Cae Top [http://www.caetop.gwynedd.sch.uk/]
* Ysgol Ein Harglwyddes
* Ysgol Glanadda
* Ysgol Glan Cegin [http://www.glancegin.gwynedd.sch.uk/]
* Ysgol Hirael
* Ysgol Y Faenol [http://www.faenol.gwynedd.sch.uk/]
* Ysgol Y Garnedd

Infant Schools

* Ysgol Babanod, Coed Mawr

Independent Schools

* Hillgrove School [http://www.hillgrove.gwynedd.sch.uk/]
* St. Gerard's School [http://www.st-gerards.org/]

Arts, music and culture

Theatr Gwynedd [http://www.theatrgwynedd.co.uk] is the city's main venue for drama (in both English and Welsh, but mainly Welsh), ballet, opera, comedy and cinema. Bangor is an important centre for classical music, with regular concerts given in the Powis and Prichard-Jones Halls as part of the University's Music at Bangor concert series. [http://www.bangor.ac.uk/community/musicindex] The city is also home to the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery. [http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/gwy_doc.asp?doc=13261&cat=3657&Language=1] The University has announced plans for a major new arts centre in the city. [Plans announced for new Arts Centre in Bangor [http://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/full.php?Id=238] ]

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.

Media

Radio

Bangor has two commercial radio stations broadcasting from Parc Menai which are Champion 103 and Coast 96.3. Both stations broadcast to the city in English and Welsh.

Bangor University also has its own student radio station called Storm FM, which broadcast from the Ffriddoedd Site.

Bangor is home to a small BBC studio. The BBC's Light Entertainment Department moved to Bangor during World War II and many classic programmes (like "ITMA") came from Bangor. In 1967, the Beatles came to Bangor (staying in Dyfrdwy, one of the halls comprising Adeilad Hugh Owen, now part of the Management Centre) for their first encounter with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, during which visit they learned of the death of their manager Brian Epstein. Fact|date=January 2008

Singer Duffy was born in Bangor.

Night Life

Night Clubs

* Acadami (Students Union)
* Amser/Time
* Hendre Hall (Tal Y Bont) [http://www.hendrehall.com/]
* Octagon & Glitterball [http://www.octagonclub.co.uk]
* Joop

Restaurants & Bars

* The Black Bull Inn (JD Wetherspoon) [http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/pubs/pub-details.php?PubNumber=1664]
* Fat Cat Café Bar [http://www.fatcatcafebars.co.uk/bangor/index.html]
* The Harp Inn (80-82 High Street, Bangor)
* Yr Hen Glan (The Old Glan)
* The Mostyn Arms
* The Skerries Inn
* Varsity [http://www.varsitybars.com/bars/bangor.html]
* Yates's [http://www.weareyates.co.uk/home/bars/bar/yates-bangor]

Taxis

* A5 Taxis
* Ace & Gwynns Taxis
* Airport & Seaport
* C J's Cabs
* Chubbs Taxis [http://www.chubbscabs.co.uk/]
* Classic Cabs
* Connect Cars
* Glyn's Taxis
* Janes Taxis
* Johns Cabs
* Merfyn's Taxi
* Trevor's Taxis
* Tryfan Cabs Ltd

Garth Pier

Bangor has a pier, which is the second longest in Wales and also the 9th longest in the British Isles, being 1,500 feet (or 472 metres). Its name is the Garth Pier, and was almost demolished in 1974 due to the poor condition it was in at the time. However local support for the pier ensured that it survived and gained a Grade 2 listed status, as it was considered one of the three finest surviving piers at the time. Restoration work began in 1982 and did not finish until 1988. The pier was re-opened on Saturday, 7th May, 1988.

port

Bangor has a successfulFact|date=September 2008 football team, Bangor City F.C. [http://www.bangorcityfc.com] which competes in the national Welsh Premier League. Bangor City has won numerous cups and championships, and has represented Wales in European competition on a number of occasions. Bangor is also home to rugby union team Bangor RFC who play in the WRU Division Five North league.

Hospital

Ysbyty Gwynedd is based in Bangor within the Penrhosgarnedd area. The hospital is the largest of all the North West Wales NHS Trust hospitals and the main administrative centre is based in Bangor.

ee also

*North Wales

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/growthofbangor.shtml History of Bangor — BBC]
* [http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/gwy_doc.asp?cat=3657&doc=13261 Bangor museum]
* [http://www.bangorcivicsociety.org.uk/ Bangor Civic Society]
* [http://www.woodvine.com/bangor/ Bangor in old photographs]
* [http://www.esgobaethbangordiocese.org/ Diocese of Bangor]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3491095 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Bangor and surrounding area]

References