WELCOME TO
BANGOR CATHEDRAL
GWYNEDD, WALES
PAUL SCOTT
We see from the satellite view that the Cathedral is basically cruciform in shape. It sits in a pleasant park area and is bounded by Waterloo Street, High Street, Glanrafan, and at a greater distance by Deiniol Road.
The main axis of the Cathedral is placed so that the sanctuary points in a direction which is geographically about 30° north of east. We shall use liturgical directions and regard this as East (with a capital letter). The two directions are close enough not to cause any difficulty.
We observe that there is a tower at the West end above the main entry, and a central tower. The nave has two covered nave aisles, and some additional building has taken place, particularly in the Northeast corner.
We start our exploration in the Bible Garden which is due North of the Cathedral – you can just see the entry gate at the top of the photograph. We then walk right around the exterior of the Cathedral, and enter by the West door.
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This is the plan of the Cathedral from the Cathedral publication. The plan is very simple, and even simpler when we just consider the areas open to the public. There is a tower at the Western end, and the main entry to the Cathedral is through the base of the tower. The Southern transept has been converted into a Lady Chapel. The normal crossing – where transepts meet the main axis of the Cathedral – is occupied by the Choir. A central square tower rises above this. The North transept is not open to the public, nor are the added structures East of the Lady Chapel and the North transept. These are used as vestries and for administration.
After walking around the exterior of the Cathedral, we enter by the West door. We then explore the nave, the Lady Chapel, the choir and the sanctuary in turn.
You can access intermediate points in the tour by a tap / click on the following links:
To continue, tap / click on START
Or, if you wish to go inside the Cathedral immediately, tap / click on 14. Nave (Interior)