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Bangor Cathedral
Attractions in Bangor

Bangor to see, Bangor Cathedral first

Visitors to Bangor can choose from 6 museums, 2 castles and 2 piers. There are 3 places to visit inside Bangor’s built-up area, and 15 more within 5 km of its edge. Among them, 4 are cared for: 3 by the National Trust and 1 by Cadw. The centre alone has 3 within 1 km. Beyond the town, the best known is Caernarfon, 13 km off.

Photo: Bangor Cathedral, Denis Egan from Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales (CC BY 2.0)
In Bangor
3
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
15
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
7
in or near town
Castles & historic places
5
in or near town
Cared for
4
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

The headline places in Bangor

Along with Bangor Cathedral, see 2 museums, 2 castles and a pier.

CathedralBangor Cathedralin townMuseumMuseumStorielin townMuseumMuseumNatural History Musemin townCastle · CadwCastell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle3.7 km outside town, to the northeastCastle · National TrustPenrhyn Castle1.1 km outside town, to the eastPierGarth Pier100 m outside town, to the northeast

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

The lie of the land

Bryn Celli Ddu Chambered Tomb, 6.8 km away, is the farthest on the map.

123456789101112131415161718

The dashed line is Bangor’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

By kind

Ahead are museums or galleries (7); next, castles or historic places (5).

Museums & galleries 6 museums · 1 art gallery2 in town · 5 nearby
Castles & historic places 2 castles · 1 cathedral · 1 historic house · 1 historic site1 in town · 4 nearby
Gardens & estates 2 gardens0 in town · 2 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 2 piers · 1 theme park · 1 zoo0 in town · 4 nearby

Green: inside Bangor. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

4 places are cared for: 3 by the National Trust and 1 by Cadw (Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle, Penrhyn Castle, Walled Garden and Plas Newydd).

Every place

Every place, in and near Bangor

After the 3 in town come 15 more within 5 km of its edge.

Walled Garden

Garden · 900 m outside town, to the east

Grade II listed building in Llandygai. Located approximately 150m west of Penrhyn Castle on a fairly steep, south-west facing slope with bog garden below to south-west..

Run by National Trust
About Walled Garden →

The 3 inside Bangor come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

187 listed buildings and 1 scheduled monument are on Bangor’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Bangor →

Big names nearby

Worth the drive

Worth the drive, Caernarfon (13 km) is first of the 12.

FortCaernarfon13 km southwestCastle · CadwCastell Caernarfon13 km southwestCastle · CadwConwy Castle22 km eastCastleCastle · CadwCastell Dolbadarn12 km southCastleCastell Aberlleiniog9 km northeastCastleCastle · CadwCastell Dolwyddelan24 km southeastMuseumWelsh Slate Museum11 km southHeritage railwayLlanberis Lake Railway10 km southFort · CadwCaernarfon Town Walls13 km southwestHistoric houseThe Smallest House in Great Britain22 km eastCastle · CadwCastell Cricieth34 km southCastleDeganwy Castle22 km northeast

Places well known beyond Bangor (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Places to visit in Bangor: questions

What are the main attractions in Bangor?

The best known inside Bangor’s built-up area are Bangor Cathedral, Storiel and Natural History Musem. In all, 3 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 15 more within 5 km.

Does Bangor have a museum?

7 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Bangor: Storiel, Natural History Musem, Thomas Telford Centre and Plas Newydd.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Bangor?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Bangor, 4 places are cared for: 3 by the National Trust and 1 by Cadw (Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle, Penrhyn Castle, Walled Garden and Plas Newydd).

What are the best-known days out near Bangor?

Within 40 km: Caernarfon (13 km), Castell Caernarfon (13 km), Conwy Castle (22 km), Castell Dolbadarn (12 km).

Where are Bangor’s historic buildings listed?

Bangor has 187 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Cadw’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Bangor when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (19)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.