One of the smallest cities in the UK, Bangor has a population of just 16,000 – it’s the ancient cathedral that is its ticket to city status. It was an even smaller settlement until the railway from Chester to Holyhead was built through the area, and the opening of the station in 1848 helped the city to grow. The road bridge to Anglesey (Menai Suspension Bridge) is right next to Bangor, and was finished 22 years earlier in 1826. Victorian Bangor became something of a resort, but nowhere near as popular as Rhyl, Conwy, Llandudno and such like, and it remains a more relaxing place to visit.
The city sits on the Menai Strait, with the island of Anglesey just 1 kilometre away to the north-west, or 500m if you stand at the end of Garth Pier. The pier is now a Grade II listed building and was actually threatened with demolition in the 1970s, more than 50 years after it was damaged by a boat and fell into disrepair. A local campaign saved and protected it, and it’s now mostly open to the public while it’s being fully restored. Bangor is an interesting place to visit, and is thought to have the longest shopping street in Wales, so why not hop on a train to Bangor to explore this fascinating university city?
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