Bangor is overshadowed by the wonders on its doorstep – by the genteel Victorian grandeur of Llandudno; by the nearby Unesco World Heritage Site of Caernarfon Castle; by the island of Anglesey, anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty; and by stunning Snowdonia National Park. But it’s packed with history, being the oldest city in Wales (it dates back to the founding of an early Christian site, now Bangor Cathedral, in the 6th century).
In fact, 2025 is its 1,500th birthday. So it should be a time for celebration. Instead, it has just been handed an unwanted title: Britain’s “worst” seaside town. That’s according to the readers of Which? magazine,who rated it the least appealing of 126 contenders. “Drab” and “run down” were among the criticisms levelled at poor Bangor. By contrast, its Welsh rivals Portmeirion and Llandudno secured places in the top 10.
Bangor has known good times. During the boom years of the industrial age, nearby Port Penryn was exporting Welsh-mined slate to roof the world. The engineer Thomas Telford transformed connections, building the Menai Suspension Bridge in 1826 to link Bangor to Anglesey. Daytrippers arrived from Liverpool by steamboat and local workers established Bangor University in 1884 to widen access to higher education. Bangor’s fortunes have since faded, however, and the walk into town from the Victorian train station, opened in 1848, is blighted with boarded-up shop fronts.
What’s it really like?
The statue of founder Saint Deiniol looks out from Bangor Cathedral to an unloved high street. The cathedral itself, however, still sings of former glories, with Norman stones, 19th-century renovations by the architect George Gilbert Scott and the rare, 15th-century oak carving known as the Mostyn Christ. There are green shoots of regeneration, too, with a new public space planned for the grounds of Bangor University’s campus, which dominates the city.
I also find signs of culture with Pontio, Bangor University’s arts and innovation centre, offering events for all ages. Storiel, the regional museum and gallery, has plenty of free community events, based at its friendly café. The gallery has an exhibition of etchings and lithographs by the Victorian artist Frank Brangwyn until the end of September, taken from the university collection, while the museum charts the story of the people of Gwynedd with exhibits on industrial and social history.
The wider region, too, has plenty to offer, and Bangor could serve as a base to explore the outdoor attractions of Snowdonia National Park, including the adrenalin thrills of Zip World at the former slate-mining hub of Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda. Nearby Penrhyn Castle tells the story of the wealthy industrialists who made their fortunes from the slate industry, while the Aber Falls Distillery flies the flag for Welsh artisan whisky, gin and liqueurs, with tastings and distillery tours near Llanfairfechan. Walkers can also explore a stretch of the 870-mile Wales Coast Path.
What’s not to like?
Don’t go looking for a beach – unusually for a seaside town, there isn’t one. Bangor is more of a working place, given its links to the slate-mining industry, not a classic resort like Llandudno or Colwyn Bay. There’s not much to entertain families with young kids, such as penny arcades or a Punch and Judy show, although there are plans to expand attractions on its Garth Pier, the second-longest in Wales.
Accommodation-wise, too, Bangor is lacking in variety, making it more of a day trip than a place to stay overnight. A smart new boutique guesthouse with a real sense of local identity could be a real game-changer for the city. The university fuels local nightlife, while Ponio and Storiel have theatre and cinema shows, plus plenty of Welsh-language events for locals, but there’s not much overall to entice passing visitors to stick around for the evening. Most will inevitably move on.
Do this…
For a vision of Bangor’s Victorian heyday, take a stroll down Garth Pier (entrance fee 50p). Designed as a promenading pier in 1896, the 1,500ft structure offers fine views across the Menai Straits to Beaumaris and to Telford’s historic Menai Suspension Bridge. Go crabbing at the water’s edge or watch fishing boats patrol the Straits. The Grade II-listed pier was named National Piers Society’s Pier of the Year in 2022, its 125th anniversary, and has survived trials from being threatened with demolition to terrible damage by the SS Christina cargo ship, which broke its moorings in 1914. The Friends of Bangor Garth Pier, who have revived the cheery pier-side kiosks with local souvenirs and produce, hosts an annual birthday celebration, with family-friendly activities, each May.
Eat this…
Two locals’ favourites on the High Street are Clio Lounge and Blue Sky. The former is a friendly, all-day-dining spot for flatbreads, tapas and brunches with a Mediterranean motif. It offers a good-value lunchtime deal (until 5pm): soup and a sandwich for £6.25. The latter is a funky coffee and craft-ale hangout with daily specials and local beers downstairs, plus drinks, events and live-music evenings upstairs. Find it down a graffiti-art passageway off the high street. Down by the pier, meanwhile, the people who run the end-of-pier Pavilion Cafe (open 365 days a year) also run Tafarn y Garth, a neighbourhood pub for fish and chips and craft ales after your bracing, sea-air stroll.
But don’t do this…
Don’t bother with souvenir shopping. The town centre isn’t much of a retail destination, with a high street of chain stores, plus a fair number of empty units. At least some of those shop fronts are enlivened by bright murals, including liberal use of the community-pride hashtag #lovebangor. The Deiniol Shopping Centre could use a few independents majoring in local produce, and plans to turn the old Castle Hotel into a market hall are still at the planning stage. The Friday produce market along the high street exhibits more vital signs with vintage and produce stalls.
From a local
Avril Wayte is the chairman of the Friends of Bangor Garth Pier. She says: “The worst seaside town is a total misnomer as Bangor is a city – and there’s no seaside here. I’ve been coming to the pier since I was a girl and we have recently formed a community interest company to secure it for future generations. As for the town centre, Bangor needs money and brains. The short-sighted decisions of the past have not served us well.”
From a tourist
Aileen Grieve is visiting Bangor from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, with her partner. This is their first visit to Wales. She says: “We heard about the Which? survey, but it’s not that bad. OK, it’s no Llandudno – but it’s no Rhyl either. There are some run-down sites in town, but the pier looks attractive, and the wider landscape is beautiful. I think Bangor needs more for kids. Win over the kids and the whole family will follow.”
Get there
Bangor is on the North Wales Coast Line, connections from Chester and Crewe (the line continues to Holyhead). By car, follow the A55; the journey from Chester takes around 75 minutes. The annual Bangor Summer Festival takes place on August 17.
