{"id":313702,"date":"2025-08-03T05:11:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T05:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/313702\/"},"modified":"2025-08-03T05:11:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T05:11:17","slug":"i-lived-in-welsh-city-dubbed-the-second-worst-seaside-town-and-theres-one-huge-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/313702\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I lived in Welsh city dubbed the second-worst seaside town and there’s one huge issue’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bangor in North Wales has been named among the worst seaside towns for the second year running, but one former resident thinks the small city can feel hard-done by\"Matt<\/p>\n

Matt is a Content Editor at Reach Trendswatch. He covers a wide range of topics from celebrity news, consumer warnings, health stories and more across Reach’s national websites and the Live network. Before, Matt worked at the Express as Deputy Overnight Editor, the Reach Night Owls and Daybreakers as a Digital Publishing Editor and StokeonTrentLive and the Sentinel, covering Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire. Matt is based in Cheshire in his current role working with newsrooms across Reach.<\/p>\n

\"AMatt lived in Bangor for three years and thinks the city can feel hard-done by as one of the ‘worst seaside towns’<\/p>\n

Wales boasts a raft of impressive beaches and stunning coastlines but one popular city has been named among the UK\u2019s \u201cworst seaside towns\u201d for the second year in a row. Luckily for Bangor<\/a>, it\u2019s climbed one up the table this year, with just Bognor Regis dubbed worse.<\/a><\/p>\n

The survey, from consumer champions Which? also ranked Clacton-on-Sea in Essex in the bottom three. According to the so-called experts at Which, Bangor<\/a> achieved a desirability score of just 38%.<\/p>\n

And when broken down, the scoring from the experts was even more brutal for the quaint Welsh city. Bangor scored a single score for its food and drink, despite being a bustling student city, its historic pier wasn\u2019t even rated, and its attractions and shops scored just one star.<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite the city centre boasting a 6th century cathedral and the outskirts of the city home to the Penrhyn Castle, Bangor scored a lowly one for its tourist attractions.<\/p>\n

The city was however given three stars for its scenery, which it should well expect sitting between the stunning views of Eryri and the waters of the Menai Strait.<\/p>\n

\"AMatt says the surrounding areas like Beaumaris should work in Bangor’s favour<\/p>\n

Having spent three years studying in Bangor, and having regularly taken a trip back to the city over the years since graduating, I\u2019m here to make a pitch for the city. And there\u2019s plenty of reasons why the experts are wrong\u2026but I\u2019ve whittled it down to just four.<\/p>\n

The historic Garth Pier has stunning views of Anglesey(Image: R A Kearton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The 1,500ft-long Grade-II listed pier dates back to the 19th Century and attracts thousands of visitors each year. In 2022 it was named Pier of the Year by the National Piers Society – and they know a thing or two about piers.<\/p>\n

The Pavilion Caf\u00e9 at the end of the pier has been a stop-off point for many people as they walk along the structure, offering the chance to enjoy a homemade scone or a tub of Red Boat ice cream. While Bangor pier might not have the amusements or attractions that Llandudno has, it offers a nice place to walk and enjoy some downtime.<\/p>\n

The heritage and culture<\/p>\n

Arguably two of the most imposing structures in Bangor are two of its most historic locations. The cathedral sits right at the edge of the city centre and boasts gothic columns and stained glass windows. For many it offers a striking gateway into the city as you head down into town from Upper Bangor.<\/p>\n

\"PontioPontio in Bangor(Image: David Powell\/North Wales Live)<\/p>\n

Bangor University meanwhile was established in 1884, with its Main Arts building striking an imposing figure nestled at the top of Glenrafon Hill – known affectionately by the student popular as B***h Hill due to its steepness.<\/p>\n

In more recent years – and much to my own dismay, after I graduated – the university opened Pontio, bringing more cinema, theatre, and places to eat to the city. Not too bad considering the experts gave the attractions a one star!<\/p>\n

Bangor is also home to the Penrhyn Castle, a National Trust site that even plays home to a weekly parkrun. The building was historically built for quarry owners but now offers a fascinating glimpse into the past as well as being on the stunning Wales coast path.<\/p>\n

\"BangorBangor University brings in thousands of students(Image: Alan Hewitt\/Getty Images)Its beautiful location<\/p>\n

This one might be a bit cheeky, but Bangor has a lot going on around it. Something that is worth considering since it\u2019s such a small city.<\/p>\n

Just a short journey away from the city itself – and admittedly across the Menai Bridge – you have the historic Beaumaris, the beautiful Newborough Forest, and the stunning Benllech Beach.<\/p>\n

\"ABangor is surrounded by stunning scenery and views of the Menai Strait(Image: Matt Jackson)<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re also a short 20 minute drive away from Llanberris and the foot of Snowdon. Even for the penny-pinching students, a trip to the UK\u2019s third-highest peak was in order.<\/p>\n

And if that wasn\u2019t your thing, then it wasn\u2019t overly expensive to get a train to Llandudno to visit the Great Orme, the seaside Promenade, or just have a stroll around the shops. Students without a car could even catch a film at Llandudno Junction on the way home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bangor in North Wales has been named among the worst seaside towns for the second year running, but…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":313703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5010],"tags":[55584,33593,748,4884,16,15,1764],"class_list":{"0":"post-313702","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wales","8":"tag-bangor","9":"tag-bangor-university","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-wales"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114963119504293412","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/313703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}