Bangor, Wales
Encyclopedia
Bangor is a city
in Gwynedd
, north west Wales
, and one of the smallest cities
in Britain. It is a university city
with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census
, not including around 10,000 student
s at Bangor University
. Including nearby Menai Bridge
on Anglesey
, which does not however form part of the City of Bangor itself, the population is about 18,000. It is one of only five places classed as a city in Wales, although it is only the 36th largest urban area by population. According to the census, 46.6% of the population speak Welsh
. Bangor has been called "The Athens of Wales".
by the Celt
ic saint
Deiniol
in the early 6th century AD. The name 'Bangor' itself is an old Welsh
word for a type of fenced-in enclosure, such as was 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 Britain. Another claim to fame is that Bangor allegedly has the longest High Street
in Wales and the United Kingdom. Friars School
was founded as a free grammar school
in 1557, and Bangor University
was founded in 1884.
In 1865, Morris Wartski
, a refugee from the Tsarist pogroms, first established a jewellery business on Bangor's High Street, and then a drapery store. His son, Isidore, went on to develop the drapery business and to create a large, fashionable, store. He also redeveloped the Castle Inn on High Street in Bangor, which then became the high-class Castle Hotel. He was a very popular mayor of the city and a great patron of local sports and charities. Wartski Fields were bequeathed to the city and people of Bangor by his widow, Winifred Marie, in memory of Isidore Wartski.
near the Menai Strait
which separates the island of Anglesey from Gwynedd. Bangor Mountain
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
. Bangor Mountain casts a shadow across the High Street, Glan Adda and Hirael areas, so that from November to March some parts of the High Street in particular receive no direct sunlight. 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 (Bangor Uchaf).
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
.
Bangor lies at the western end of the North Wales Path
, a 60 miles (96.6 km) 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
.
and Coleg Menai
are located in the town. Secondary schools include Ysgol Friars
, Ysgol Tryfan
, Hillgrove School and St. Gerard's School. There are also a number of primary and infant schools.
, with regular 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 the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery. The University has announced plans for a major new arts centre in the city.
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.
broadcasting centre, producing a large amount of output for BBC Radio Cymru
. The studios are also the main North Wales newsroom for television, radio and online. The BBC's Light Entertainment Department moved to Bangor during World War II
and many classic programmes (like It's That Man Again
) came from Bangor.
Bangor was also previously home to two commercial radio stations, Heart Cymru (serving Anglesey and Gwynedd) and the now-defunct Heart North Wales Coast (serving the North Wales Coast), which shared studio facilities on the Parc Menai office complex - the studios were closed in August 2010 after the stations were moved to Wrexham.
Bangor University
also has its own student radio station called Storm FM, which broadcasts to the Ffriddoedd Site and from their website.
In 1967, The Beatles
came to Bangor, staying in Dyfrdwy, one of the halls comprising Adeilad Hugh Owen (Hugh Owen Building), 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
.
On February 24, 2010 BBC Radio 1's The Chris Moyles Show
announced Bangor as the location for Radio 1's Big Weekend
concert festival. The morning show was broadcast on location from Bangor, with the announcement as well as a portion of the lineup being revealed. Big international acts such as Rihanna
, MGMT
, Ke$ha and Alicia Keys
played as well as British acts like Pixie Lott
, Cheryl Cole
, Pendulum
and Dizzee Rascal
.
, which is the second longest in Wales and the ninth longest in the British Isles, at 1,500 feet (or 472 metres) in length. Named the Garth Pier, it 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 took place between 1982 and 1988, and the pier was re-opened on Saturday, 7 May 1988.
team, Bangor City F.C.
which competes in the national Welsh Premier League (formerly League of Wales). Bangor City have won the League of Wales on three occasions(1994, 1995, 2011) and been continuous members of the league since its inception. Bangor City have also won the Welsh Cup
seven times, most recently in 2009. Before 1992 they were members of the English football pyramid, peaking with the Northern Premier League
title in 1982 and being FA Trophy
runners-up in 1984. They have also competed in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
three times (including its final season, 1998-99
, before being merged into the UEFA Cup
), UEFA Champions League
twice, and UEFA Cup five times, though they have not progressed far in any of the European competitions.
Bangor is also home to rugby union
team Bangor RFC
who play in the WRU Division Two North league.
in the series 6 episode "Shedding the Load."
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, north west Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and one of the smallest cities
Smallest cities in the United Kingdom
These are the chartered cities in the United Kingdom with a population of less than 100,000 at the most recent census. For the full list, see List of cities in the United Kingdom....
in Britain. It is a university city
College town
A college town or university town is a community which is dominated by its university population...
with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, not including around 10,000 student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s at Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
. Including nearby Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
on Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, which does not however form part of the City of Bangor itself, the population is about 18,000. It is one of only five places classed as a city in Wales, although it is only the 36th largest urban area by population. According to the census, 46.6% of the population speak Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. Bangor has been called "The Athens of Wales".
History
The origins of the city date back to the founding of a monastic establishment on the site of Bangor CathedralBangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Christian worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol....
by the Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Deiniol
Deiniol
Saint Deiniol was the first Bishop of Bangor in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales. He is also venerated in Brittany as Saint Denoual. In English, the name is translated as Daniel but this is rarely used....
in the early 6th century AD. The name 'Bangor' itself is an old Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
word for a type of fenced-in enclosure, such as was originally surrounded the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
site. The present cathedral is a somewhat more recent building and has been extensively modified throughout the centuries.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Bangor is one of the oldest in Britain. Another claim to fame is that Bangor allegedly has the longest High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
in Wales and the United Kingdom. Friars School
Friars School, Bangor
Ysgol Friars is a comprehensive school in Bangor, Gwynedd, and one of the oldest schools in Wales.-1557 Establishment:The school was founded by Geoffrey Glyn, Doctor of Laws, who had been brought up in Anglesey and had followed a career in law in London....
was founded as a free grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in 1557, and Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
was founded in 1884.
In 1865, Morris Wartski
Wartski
Wartski is a family-owned firm of antique dealers specialising in Russian works of art; particularly those by Carl Fabergé, fine jewellery and silver. Founded in North Wales in 1865 the business is now located at 14 Grafton Street in Mayfair, London. The company holds royal appointments as...
, a refugee from the Tsarist pogroms, first established a jewellery business on Bangor's High Street, and then a drapery store. His son, Isidore, went on to develop the drapery business and to create a large, fashionable, store. He also redeveloped the Castle Inn on High Street in Bangor, which then became the high-class Castle Hotel. He was a very popular mayor of the city and a great patron of local sports and charities. Wartski Fields were bequeathed to the city and people of Bangor by his widow, Winifred Marie, in memory of Isidore Wartski.
Geography
Bangor lies on the coast of north WalesNorth Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
near the Menai Strait
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
which separates the island of Anglesey from Gwynedd. Bangor Mountain
Bangor Mountain
Bangor Mountain is a scarp face of a hill below which the city of Bangor in Gwynedd, Wales, sits.Though not a mountain in the true sense of the word it is so called because of the way it rears up behind Bangor and appears mountainous, especially from the Glan Adda, High Street and Hirael areas of...
lies to the east of the main part of the city, but the large housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
of Maesgeirchen
Maesgeirchen
Maesgeirchen is a large housing estate on the edge of the city of Bangor in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, with roughly 4,000 inhabitants.It was originally constructed in the late 1930s, with more homes being added after World War II and in recent years...
, originally built as council housing, is to the east of the mountain near Port Penrhyn
Port Penrhyn
Port Penrhyn is a harbour located just east of Bangor in north Wales at the mouth of the River Cegin. It was formerly of great importance as the main port for the export of slate from the Penrhyn Quarry, the largest slate quarry in the world at the end of the nineteenth century...
. Bangor Mountain casts a shadow across the High Street, Glan Adda and Hirael areas, so that from November to March some parts of the High Street in particular receive no direct sunlight. 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 (Bangor Uchaf).
Vaynol
Vaynol or Y Faenol , is a country estate dating from the Tudor period, near Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, North Wales . There are of park, farmland, and gardens on the estate, with over thirty listed buildings, surrounded by a wall which is long...
, whilst the River Cegin enters Port Penrhyn
Port Penrhyn
Port Penrhyn is a harbour located just east of Bangor in north Wales at the mouth of the River Cegin. It was formerly of great importance as the main port for the export of slate from the Penrhyn Quarry, the largest slate quarry in the world at the end of the nineteenth century...
at the eastern edge of the city. Port Penrhyn was an important port in the 19th century, exporting the slates
Slate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
produced at the Penrhyn Quarry
Penrhyn Quarry
The Penrhyn Slate Quarry is a slate quarry located near Bethesda in north Wales. At the end of the nineteenth century it was the world's largest slate quarry; the main pit is nearly long and deep, and it was worked by nearly 3,000 quarrymen. It has since been superseded in size by slate quarries...
.
Bangor lies at the western end of the North Wales Path
North Wales Path
The North Wales Path is a long distance walk of some 60 miles which runs close to the North Wales coast between Prestatyn in the east and Bangor in the west....
, a 60 miles (96.6 km) long-distance coastal walking route to Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
. It is also on routes 5
NCR 5
-Chester to Holyhead:Chester | Conwy | Bangor | Menai Bridge | Holyhead-External links:*...
, 8
NCR 8
The route passes through the heart of Wales, and is also known by its Welsh name Lôn Las Cymru . It is largely north-south from Holyhead to Cardiff and Chepstow, and in total measures some in length...
and 85 of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
Bangor railway station
Bangor (Gwynedd) railway station
Bangor railway station in Bangor, Gwynedd is the last mainland station on the London Euston to Holyhead North Wales Coast line. The station is 40 km east of Holyhead....
, which serves the city, is located on the North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
from Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
.
Education
Bangor UniversityBangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
and Coleg Menai
Coleg Menai
Coleg Menai is a further education college located in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. The college also has campuses in Llangefni and Caernarfon...
are located in the town. Secondary schools include Ysgol Friars
Friars School, Bangor
Ysgol Friars is a comprehensive school in Bangor, Gwynedd, and one of the oldest schools in Wales.-1557 Establishment:The school was founded by Geoffrey Glyn, Doctor of Laws, who had been brought up in Anglesey and had followed a career in law in London....
, Ysgol Tryfan
Ysgol Tryfan
Ysgol Tryfan is a small bilingual, comprehensive school in Bangor, Gwynedd with around 430 pupils. The school was formed in 1978 by demerging the Welsh language medium from Ysgol Friars....
, Hillgrove School and St. Gerard's School. There are also a number of primary and infant schools.
Culture
Bangor is an important centre for classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, with regular 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 the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery. The University has announced plans for a major new arts centre in the city.
Bangor hosted the National Eisteddfod
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
in 1890, 1902, 1915, 1931, 1940 (through the medium of radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
), 1943, 1971 and 2005, as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1874.
Radio
Bangor is home to a small BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcasting centre, producing a large amount of output for BBC Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Cymru is BBC Cymru's Welsh-language radio station, broadcasting throughout Wales from studios in Cardiff, Bangor, and Aberystwyth on FM since 1977. At the time of its launch it was one of the few FM-only radio services in the UK...
. The studios are also the main North Wales newsroom for television, radio and online. The BBC's Light Entertainment Department moved to Bangor during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and many classic programmes (like It's That Man Again
It's That Man Again
It's That Man Again was a BBC radio comedy programme which ran from 1939 to 1949. The title was a contemporary phrase referring to ever more frequent news-stories about Hitler in the lead-up to World War II, and specifically a headline in the Daily Express written by Bert Gunn...
) came from Bangor.
Bangor was also previously home to two commercial radio stations, Heart Cymru (serving Anglesey and Gwynedd) and the now-defunct Heart North Wales Coast (serving the North Wales Coast), which shared studio facilities on the Parc Menai office complex - the studios were closed in August 2010 after the stations were moved to Wrexham.
Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
also has its own student radio station called Storm FM, which broadcasts to the Ffriddoedd Site and from their website.
In 1967, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
came to Bangor, staying in Dyfrdwy, one of the halls comprising Adeilad Hugh Owen (Hugh Owen Building), now part of the Management Centre, for their first encounter with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
, during which visit they learned of the death of their manager Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
.
On February 24, 2010 BBC Radio 1's The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show is the current BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in the UK, and has been since Chris Moyles became the station's breakfast show presenter on 5 January 2004. From 2004 to 2007, the show was broadcast 6:55–10:00 am each weekday, but since 15 October 2007 it has started from...
announced Bangor as the location for Radio 1's Big Weekend
Big Weekend
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is a music festival run by BBC Radio 1. It is held once a year, in a different location within the United Kingdom each time...
concert festival. The morning show was broadcast on location from Bangor, with the announcement as well as a portion of the lineup being revealed. Big international acts such as Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
, Ke$ha and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
played as well as British acts like Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
, Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
, Pendulum
Pendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
and Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
.
Retail trade
Bangor has a number of retail outlets on Caernarfon Road, on the outskirts of town. One of these is St. David's Retail Park which was constructed on the site of the demolished St David's maternity hospital.Garth Pier
Bangor has a pierPier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
, which is the second longest in Wales and the ninth longest in the British Isles, at 1,500 feet (or 472 metres) in length. Named the Garth Pier, it 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 took place between 1982 and 1988, and the pier was re-opened on Saturday, 7 May 1988.
Sport
Bangor has a long-established footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
which competes in the national Welsh Premier League (formerly League of Wales). Bangor City have won the League of Wales on three occasions(1994, 1995, 2011) and been continuous members of the league since its inception. Bangor City have also won the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
seven times, most recently in 2009. Before 1992 they were members of the English football pyramid, peaking with the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
title in 1982 and being FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
runners-up in 1984. They have also competed in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
three times (including its final season, 1998-99
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1998-99
The season 1998-99 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Lazio in the final against Mallorca for their first title in the competition.-Qualifying round:-First leg:--------------------------------------------...
, before being merged into the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
), UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
twice, and UEFA Cup five times, though they have not progressed far in any of the European competitions.
Bangor is also home to rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team Bangor RFC
Bangor RFC
Bangor Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Bangor, North Wales. Bangor RFC is a founding member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets...
who play in the WRU Division Two North league.
Notable people
- See :Category:People from Bangor, Gwynedd
- John Edward DanielJohn Edward DanielJohn Edward Daniel was a Welsh theologian and college lecturer who became chairman of the Welsh political party Plaid Cymru.-Life:...
- theologian and Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
political leader - Wayne HennesseyWayne HennesseyWayne Robert Hennessey is a Welsh international footballer who plays for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers as a goalkeeper.-Early career:...
, footballer, current Welsh national teamWales national football teamThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
goalkeeper, playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers. - SashaSasha (DJ)Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
, DJ and record producer. - Matthew Dent, graphic artist and designer of the redesigned 2008 British coinage.
- Cai GriffithsCai GriffithsCai Griffiths is a rugby union player for the Ospreys in the RaboDirect Pro12. Griffiths' position of choice is as a prop.-External links:*...
Ospreys prop - Morris Wartski, founder of the jeweller WartskiWartskiWartski is a family-owned firm of antique dealers specialising in Russian works of art; particularly those by Carl Fabergé, fine jewellery and silver. Founded in North Wales in 1865 the business is now located at 14 Grafton Street in Mayfair, London. The company holds royal appointments as...
. His son Isidor Wartski became mayor of Bangor. Wartski Fields is named in his honour
Popular culture
The city of Bangor is mentioned as the birthplace of the wife of Mr. Tebbs, in the popular BBC series Are You Being Served?Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served? is a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store. It was written mainly by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, with contributions by Michael Knowles and John...
in the series 6 episode "Shedding the Load."