Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral, dedicated to St Deiniol, is a Grade I Church in Wales cathedral in Cathedral Close, Bangor, Gwynedd: Cadw calls it the oldest cathedral foundation in Britain, founded about 525, with a present building shaped by a medieval sequence and by George Gilbert Scott's restoration of 1868-80.
- Location
- Bangor, Gwynedd
- Country
- Wales
- County
- Gwynedd
- City / town
- Bangor
- Address
- Cathedral Close, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 1RL
- Postcode
- LL57 1RL
- Built
- Present fabric from early C12; nave and west tower under Bishop Skevington 1509-34; Scott restoration 1868-80; central tower completed 1966-67
- Architect
- George Gilbert Scott (1868-80); A D R Caroe (central tower 1966-67)
- Denomination
- Church in Wales
- Dedication
- Deiniol
- Diocese
- Bangor
- Parish
- Bro Deiniol
- Grade
- I
- Style
- Gothic; Victorian restoration
- Grid reference
- SH 580 720
- Opening hours
- Open 11am to 3pm everyday.
- Access
- Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby
Overview
Cadw lists the Cathedral church of St Deiniol (reference 4027, designated 27 May 1949), in a sloping oval churchyard below the street. Cadw states that the foundation dates from about 525 on the site of a Celtic clas, dedicated to St Deiniol about 546. The present structure can be dated from the early twelfth century. Bishop Anian (1267-1305) began rebuilding the crossing, central tower and Lady Chapel; the tower was burned in 1309. Bishop Skevington (1509-34) built the existing nave and western bell tower. A restoration began in 1824 under John Hall of Bangor, with interior reordering by John Foster of Liverpool; Henry Kennedy re-roofed the choir in 1857. Gilbert Scott restored the cathedral from 1868 to 1880, especially the eastern half, including the crossing. The contractors were Beauland of Bradford and later Thompson of Peterborough.
Scott designed a tall central tower, but the foundations and funds were insufficient. The present low central structure was created in 1966-67 by A. D. R. Caroe. The Church in Wales heritage record notes that east of the nave the fabric is essentially Scott's, while work to the west was completed under his son John Oldrid Scott. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Bangor and serves the parish of Bro Deiniol.