Bangor Cathedral | |
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The Cathedral Church of Saint Deiniol | |
Bangor Cathedral
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Location | Bangor, Gwynedd |
Country | Wales |
Denomination | Anglican |
History | |
Founded | 525AD |
Founder(s) | Saint Deiniol |
Dedicated | 525AD |
Consecrated | 546AD |
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 |
Associated people |
Aled Jones George Guest |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | George Gilbert Scott |
Style | Romanesque, Gothic |
Administration | |
Parish | Bro Deiniol |
Deanery | Ogwen |
Archdeaconry | Bangor |
Diocese | Bangor |
Province | Wales |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | Andrew John |
Dean | Kathy Jones |
Precentor | David Fisher |
Canon Chancellor | Mike West |
Canon(s) | Kath Rogers Emlyn Williams Beth Bailey Robert Townsend Tracy Jane Jones Honorary Canons Randolph Ellis Roger Donaldson |
Canon Treasurer | Angela Williams |
Prebendary | Dylan Williams John Nice |
Chaplain(s) | Randolph Ellis |
Archdeacon | Paul Davies, Archdeacon of Bangor Andrew Jones, Archdeacon of Meirionnydd Mike West, Ministry Archdeacon |
Laity | |
Director of music | Paul Booth |
Organist(s) | Martin Brown |
Chapter clerk | Sion Rhys Evans |
Verger | Philip Bee |
Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Anglican worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol.
The site of the present building of Bangor Cathedral has been in use as a place of Christian worship since the 6th century. The cathedral is built on a low-lying and inconspicuous site, possibly so as not to attract the attention of Viking raiders from the sea. Some visitors to Bangor assume that the Gothic style building on the hill is the cathedral, but this is actually part of the university.
The site of Bangor Cathedral was originally occupied by St Deiniol's Monastery, established in the 6th century around 525 on land given by the king of Gwynedd, Maelgwn Gwynedd. Deiniol is said to have been consecrated as a bishop by Saint David, making him the first Bishop of Bangor. This monastery was sacked in 634 and again in 1073. Nothing of the original building survives.
The Synod of Westminster in 1102 is recorded as taking measures to restore Bangor Cathedral, but the earliest part of the present building was built during the episcopate of Bishop David (1120–1139) with the assistance of the king of Gwynedd, Gruffudd ap Cynan, who donated money towards the project and was buried by the high altar on his death in 1137. This was a cruciform building in the Norman style, about 44 yards in length. Gruffudd's son, Owain Gwynedd, was also buried here, as was his brother Cadwaladr. Giraldus Cambrensis describes a service held here in 1188 when the Archbishop of Canterbury celebrated Mass.