Bangor Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Bangor Cathedral
Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor
Cadeirlan Deiniol Sant ym Mangor
Bangor Cathedral
53°13′36″N 4°7′39″W / 53.22667°N 4.12750°W / 53.22667; -4.12750
Location	Bangor, Gwynedd
Country	Wales
Denomination	Church in Wales
History
Founded	AD 525 (AD 525)
Founder(s)	Saint Deiniol
Dedicated	AD 525
Consecrated	AD 546
Past bishop(s)	Saint Deiniol - first Bishop of Bangor Thomas Herring — Bishop of Bangor and Archbishop of Canterbury and author of the "New Form of Common Prayer" Barry Morgan — Archbishop of Wales
Architecture
Architect(s)	George Gilbert Scott
Style	Romanesque, Gothic
Administration
Parish	Bro Deiniol
Archdeaconry	Bangor
Diocese	Bangor
Province	Wales

Bangor Cathedral (Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor) is a very old church in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. It is a special kind of church called a cathedral. It was built to honor its founder, Saint Deiniol.

This place has been used for Christian worship since the 500s. The cathedral was built on a low spot. This was probably done to hide it from Viking raiders who came from the sea a long time ago.

Part of Bangor University is a building on the hill. It is built in the Gothic style.

History of Bangor Cathedral
Cathedral Architecture
Interesting Features
Burials at the Cathedral
Deans of Bangor Cathedral
The Cathedral Organ
Images for kids
See also

History of Bangor Cathedral

The area where Bangor Cathedral stands today was first home to St Deiniol's Monastery. This monastery was started around 530 AD. The land was given by Maelgwn Gwynedd, who was the king of Gwynedd.

Saint Deiniol is believed to have become a bishop thanks to Saint David. This made him the very first Bishop of Bangor. The monastery was attacked and destroyed in 634 and again in 1073. None of the first buildings are still standing today.

In 1102, people decided to rebuild Bangor Cathedral. The oldest parts of the current building were made between 1120 and 1139. This work was helped by Gruffudd ap Cynan, the king of Gwynedd. He gave money for the project. When he died in 1137, he was buried near the main altar.

His son, Owain Gwynedd, and his brother Cadwaladr were also buried here. In 1188, a special church service was held here. The Archbishop of Canterbury led the service.

In 1211, King John's army attacked Gwynedd and destroyed the cathedral.

During the 1200s, the church was rebuilt and made longer. It was badly damaged again in 1282. This happened when King Edward I invaded Gwynedd. In 1284, the church leaders received £60 to help fix the damage. A lot of rebuilding happened around this time. The transepts (side parts) and crossing (middle part) were rebuilt. The nave (main part where people sit) was rebuilt later, in the late 1300s.

Some people say the cathedral was burned down in 1402. This was during the rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr. However, there is no clear proof of this from that time. It might have been damaged, though. A lot of rebuilding definitely took place from the late 1400s. This work finished in 1532. An old Latin message above the tower door says that Bishop Skevington built the tower in 1532. But he died in 1533, so it wasn't fully finished then.

More repairs happened in the 1700s. In 1824, £2,000 was spent on fixes. Then, in 1825, the inside was changed and refitted. This cost another £3,252.

Rowland Meyrick was the first Bishop of Bangor after the Reformation. He is buried under the cathedral.

From July to September 2021, the Cathedral was used as a COVID-19 vaccination center. It was open five days a week for vaccinations. Socially-distanced worship also took place there.

Cathedral Architecture

The building you see today looks the way it does because of a lot of work. This work was led by George Gilbert Scott. It started in 1868. Scott first planned for a very tall central tower and spire. But this was never finished. Cracks appeared, which suggested the foundations might be sinking. So, the tower was left as a low structure. In 1879, £11,000 was spent to fix the nave, chapter house, and central tower.

Interesting Features

The cathedral has a special carving called the "Mostyn Christ." It is a figure of Jesus carved from oak wood. It is thought to be from the late 1400s. It shows Jesus before the crucifixion, sitting on a rock and wearing a crown of thorns.

In the cathedral's garden, there is a "Biblical Garden." It has an example of every plant mentioned in the Bible.

The cathedral also has many wooden pieces made by Robert Thompson. These include 5 of his famous wooden mice. Can you find them all?

Burials at the Cathedral

Many important people are buried at Bangor Cathedral. These include:

Rowland Meyrick, a Welsh Bishop of Bangor (1559–1566).
Nicholas Robinson (bishop), buried on the south side of the main altar.
Henry Rowlands (bishop), buried in the choir area.
Edmund Griffith, a Welsh Bishop of Bangor (1634–1637), also buried in the choir.
Robert Morgan (bishop), a Welsh Bishop of Bangor (1666–1673).
Humphrey Lloyd (bishop), Bishop of Bangor (1674–1689).
Gruffydd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, buried near the main altar.
Owain Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd. He was first buried next to his father, Gruffydd ap Cynan. Later, his burial spot was moved.

Deans of Bangor Cathedral

The Dean is the main leader of the cathedral. There have been fifty-seven recorded Deans. Since January 30, 2016, Kathy Jones has been the Dean of Bangor.

The Cathedral Organ

The Quire

The first mention of an organ in the cathedral is from a poem. It was written by Gruffudd Gryg between 1350 and 1370. He saw a new organ arrive. Records show that everyone in the church helped pay for it.

Later, in the early 1600s, an organist was paid to play. But during a time called the Commonwealth (1649–60), the organ was removed or destroyed. This was because of a rule to remove all organs and other "superstitious monuments" from churches.

When Charles II became king again in 1660, a new organ was put in. It was paid for by a gift of £100 from Bishop William Roberts. His successor, Robert Morgan, had it built.

In 1779, a new organ was installed. It cost 360 guineas (about £378). It was made by Samuel Green, a top organ builder of his time. This organ was used constantly until the current one was built.

The current organ was built in 1873 by William Hill. He was one of the best organ builders of the 1800s. He also supplied most of its 4,210 pipes! More pipes were added in 1897.

The organ was greatly rebuilt in 1954 by John Compton. Since then, it has been used every day. Many students have learned to play on it. Famous organists from all over the world have visited Bangor Cathedral to play this organ and give concerts.

Between 2006 and 2008, the organ was rebuilt again. The new console (where the organist sits) is now in the north transept.

The famous poet Dafydd ap Gwilym wrote about an organ and choir at Bangor in the 1300s. He said their music was "unrivalled." This shows that there must have been an organist back then.

There have been many assistant organists over the years. In 2014, the title of "assistant organist" changed to "cathedral organist." Also, the "organist and master of the choristers" became the "director of music." The current Cathedral Organist is Martin Brown, and the Director of Music is Joe Cooper.