Bangor (Wales)
| Bangor | |||
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| Coordinates | 53 ° 14 ′ N , 4 ° 8 ′ W | ||
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| Residents | 17,988 (as of 2011) | ||
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| Post town | Bangor | ||
| ZIP code section | LL57 | ||
| prefix | 01248 | ||
| Part of the country | Wales | ||
| region | North wales | ||
| Shire county | Gwynedd | ||
| Civil Parish | Bangor | ||
| British Parliament | Arfon | ||
| Website: City administration website | |||
Bangor is a town in the Gwynedd Unitary Authority in north-west Wales, formed in 1996 . Until 1974 it belonged to the then administrative county of Caernarfonshire and is located at the northern exit of the Menai Strait twelve kilometers northeast of Caernarvon . The university and episcopal city has around 20,000 inhabitants. The Menai Bridge, built in 1826, stretches from Bangor across Menai Strait to the village of Menai Bridge on the island of Anglesey .
history
The origins of the city go back to the 6th century. In 525 the first church and a monastery was founded by monks under the direction of Deiniol . Around 546 Deiniol was appointed bishop of his kingdom by Maelgwn Hir ap Cadwallon , king of Gwynedd . The monastery quickly gained influence and was called the most important in Britain by Beda Venerabilis at the time. The city grew around the cathedral . Bangor is one of the oldest episcopal seats in the British Isles .
The name Bangor comes from Welsh and roughly means "fenced property" and probably refers to the site of the original cathedral. The current cathedral is more recent and has been remodeled over the centuries. In 1557 the still existing Friars School was founded as a grammar school by Geoffrey Glyn.
In the 19th century, the city gained in importance as the stones of the Penrhyn quarry , then the largest slate quarry in the world, were exported via the city port of Port Penrhyn .
Traffic routes
Bangor train station is on the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe to Holyhead.
The place touch the routes 5, 8 and 85 of the national cycle network (National Cycle Network). Bangor is the terminus of the North Wales Path, the 60 mile (approximately 100 km) north Wales coastal footpath to Prestatyn .
population
| year | Residents | year | Residents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 1,770 | 2001 | 13,725 | |
| 1841 | 7,500 | 2011 | 17,575 |
Sports
The most successful local football club is three-time Welsh champions Bangor City , founded in 1876.
Attractions
cathedral
The Cathedral of Bangor (English Bangor Cathedral ), which has a low, pointed tower, stands on the site of the monastery once founded by Deiniol around 525, which was sacked in 634 and 1073; no remains of him have survived. The oldest parts of today's cathedral were built during the episcopate of Bishop David (1120–1139). The church building was destroyed in 1211 by soldiers of the English King Johann Ohneland during an invasion of Gwynedd, as well as in 1282 during Edward I's second campaign against Wales, after which extensive reconstruction work took place. There is no contemporary evidence of the alleged burning of the cathedral in 1402 during the uprising of Welsh nobleman Owain Glyndŵr , although it may very well have been affected. Bishop Henry Deane had the choir and Bishop Thomas Skevington rebuilt the nave and tower in 1532, but the latter remained unfinished. The current design of the building took place from 1866 to 1875 in the course of extensive restoration work under the supervision of the English architect George Gilbert Scott .
Castles and Palaces
In the immediate vicinity of the city two of the medieval castles , famous for the North Wales: The Bangor opposite island of Anglesey is Beaumaris Castle , and is located about fifteen kilometers from Castell Gaernarfon, better known as Caernarfon Castle , the coronation site for the Prince of Wales (last 1969).
The industrialist George Hay Dawkins-Pennant , who became rich from slate mining , had an Anglo-Norman-style castle , Penrhyn Castle , built outside of Bangor in the first half of the 19th century . In the castle there is an oversized four-poster bed, which is carved from a single block of slate. According to local tradition, it is said to have been made for Queen Victoria , who is said to have uttered her famous “We are not amused” when she saw the stable monster , as she felt the construction was a personal offense.
Town twinning
The city of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia has been Bangor's twin town since 1973.
sons and daughters of the town
- Harry Parry (1922–1956), jazz clarinetist and band leader
- Richard Deacon (born 1949), artist
- Aled Jones (* 1970), singer and radio host
- Tom Ellis (born 1978), actor
- Gwilym Simcock (* 1981), jazz pianist, horn player and composer
- Duffy (* 1984), soul pop singer and songwriter
- Rachel Johncock (born 1993), track and field athlete
