Ilkeston Cam on Holiday
w/e 21 September 2025
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
Part 08 - Bangor & Llanfair
PG
Day four of our holiday and instead of heading east towards Llandudno
we took the North Wales Expressway west and our first stop was
in Bangor.
We found a multi-storey car park near the city centre and along
with several other drivers, experienced problems with the payment
machines. Once resolved we exited the car park and noticed the
building on the hillside opposite. This is Bangor University.
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We made our way up from the appropriately named Garth Road to
High Street where the clock tower stands in the midst of the
shopping centre. Standing 47 feet high (14m) the clock was unveiled
in May 1887.
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We turned away from the clock tower and walked along High Street
towards the cathedral. Memory can play tricks on you but when
we were here in 2000 I remember a bustling busy street with a
lot of people about. This time though, the street was almost
deserted and many of the shops were closed.
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At the far end of High Street is St Deiniol's Cathedral which,
being founded in the 6th century, is one of the oldest cathedrals
in Wales.
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Across from the cathedral is Cathedral Close and I took this
photo for no other reason than I liked the view. Searching the
internet later I found that it "is a retirement housing
complex built in 1800 and run by Bishop Henry Rowlands Almshouses."
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Also looking down the hill from the cathedral along Glanrafon
I noticed a half-timbered property that looked interesting. It
turns out that this, whatever it was in the past, is now the
China Hot Chilli Chinese Restaurant! It was previously the Yr
Hen Glan pub, also known as the 'Yellow Pub' among other names
and apparently was a favourite of the university students.
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Amid a feeling of slight disappointment - it didn't live up to
my 25 year old memories - we returned to the Expressway and crossed
the Britannia Bridge to Anglesey pulling up on the car park at
the Llanfair PG railway station. The village is famous for its
full name of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
which was emblazoned across the Station House.
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The two platforms at the station are connected by a footbridge.
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The full name is also on the platform although I don't think
there is any truth in the saying that the platform had to be
extended to accommodate the name.
The car park also serves the James Pringle Weavers department
store where as well as a large selection of clothing, the outlet
also has many different souvenirs of the village and Wales in
general for sale to tourists. The name of the village is again
prominently displayed above the entrance.
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After a look round the store we set off again leaving the island
to return over the Menai Strait to the mainland to find somewhere
for lunch, this time via the Menai Bridge.
Continued in Part 09 - Menai Bridge &
Caernarfon
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