Bangor Cathedral

Ancient cathedral on one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain

Bangor Cathedral occupies the valley floor at the centre of the city, its modest bulk flanked by a pedestrianised high street on one side and a hillside garden on the other. The diocese was founded by Saint Deiniol around 525 AD, giving Bangor one of the oldest claims to continuous Christian worship in Britain — though the building you see today is largely a Victorian reconstruction.

Inside, look for the wooden choir stalls, a fragment of medieval encaustic tile, and the tomb of Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, who died in 1137. The cathedral garden behind the building is peaceful and well maintained, with views up the hillside toward Bangor University's Gothic revival buildings. The cathedral is open daily and admission is free.

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A story
The diocese of Bangor was founded by Saint Deiniol around 525 AD, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied Christian sites in Britain. The current building was largely reconstructed in the late 19th century by Gilbert Scott, but the core structure dates to the 12th and 13th centuries. In the cathedral gardens stands a small wooden oratory that claims to mark the exact spot where Deiniol built his first church.

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