SNOWDONIA is known for its stunning landscapes, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year – but a small seaside city just six miles down the road paints a very different picture.
Voted among Britain’s worst seaside towns, it’s no surprise locals branded it “a bit of a dump”; however others insisted they loved living there and with a bit of help things could be different.
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Bangor in North Wales took the crown as the worst place to have a beach holiday in a survey of thousands of people by Which? Travel – despite not having a proper beach.
But tourists labelled Wales’ oldest city as “drab” and “run down”, giving it a one-star rating for food and drink, tourist attractions and shopping.
The high street, like many other struggling seaside towns, is filled with boarded-up shops that have now been left empty for so long local drug gangs have moved in, turning them into cannabis farms.
In March, police discovered a £21million cannabis drug ring after raids on a disused shop once regarded as the ‘Harrods of North Wales’ on Bangor High Street – it also led to raids on other empty stores and eight men were arrested.
Despite the recent bad press, defiant locals say they love living in the Gwynedd capital, with a population of around 15,000, and that it has a huge amount to offer – insisting it is a good base to explore some of the most remote areas of Wales.
Retired plumber Vernon Thomas, 76, said: “It is a bit of dump but there is also a lot going for it.
“We have a university and there are really nice parts of the town.
“But there are a lot of Turkish barbers that have opened and some empty places have been used to grow cannabis.
“However I grew up here so it’s my home and I think it’s a special place.”
‘We’re all struggling’
More than a million visitors every year flock to Gwynedd, which is home to Snowdonia and stunning remote beaches on the Welsh coastline.
It has its own university, Gwynedd Mercy University, a cathedral dating back to the 12th century and a stunning Grade II listed Victorian pier.
Its university was created in 1884, funded in part by quarrymen who helped to meet the costs. These days, its marine science department is admired worldwide.
It is pretty rundown so it doesn’t surprise me it has been voted the worse place for a seaside holiday. There’s not a lot to do here.
John Williams
But Bangor was ranked bottom out of 100 seaside towns in a poll by Which?, with the 700 people quizzed giving it just a 42 per cent approval rating.
It’s an accolade that has split locals, with some insisting its problems mirror those of many other cities across the UK, and others agreeing the city centre has become a run-down ghost town.
Mum-of-two Lucy Price, 29, said: “It’s a bit rundown in places but it’s a great place to live.
“I love it. But there are a lot of shops that have closed.
“But I think money is being invested so it will look better.
“The pier is a beautiful place to be when you are out at sea. It is stunning.”
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Inside UK’s ‘worst seaside town’ where restaurants are turned into cannabis farms and drug lords run empires BEHIND bars
By Thea Jacobs and Glyn Bellis
IT is the oldest city in Wales, boasting a stunning Victorian pier, a 1,500-year-old cathedral and a respected university.
But recently, Bangor has picked up a more undesirable accolade, after being voted the UK’s worst seaside resort in a new survey.
Nestled less than an hour away from Snowdonia national park, overlooking the Menai Strait, the North Wales city has been ravaged in recent years by rampant drug gangs and a high street battling to stay afloat.
Sadly, the high street – said to be the longest in Wales – has Albanian drug gangs seizing upon the vacant lots to brazenly run secret cannabis factories.
There have also been complaints of drug dealing in nearby Caernarfon Road, where many well-known high street names have relocated to new stores.
Drugs have been an ongoing problem in the city for decades, despite the efforts of cops to capture and stop supply.
A kingpin that was put behind bars in 2010 for his crimes was found to still be running his operation from a prison cell.
Paul David Williams, 48, used phones smuggled into the jail to run operations as late as 2013, allowing him to flood Bangor with Class A drugs.
He was serving nine years for his role as gang leader in the city, but cops hadn’t realised that he was still running his operation from inside.
Shop worker Kay Holland, 76, said: “It’s a lovely town but all the shop owners are sad and desperate as they get no help.
“We’re all struggling – shops are closing down all the time.
“The rents are scandalous.”
Fellow shop worker Dominic Williams, 29, said: “I generally like coming into town but it can look a bit shabby.
“A lot of shops have closed down which is a shame.
“But there are some beautiful areas surrounding it and this is not really a seaside town – it’s a city.”
‘Bit of a dump’
Taxi driver John Williams, 64, said: “It is pretty run down so it doesn’t surprise me it has been voted the worse place for a seaside holiday.
“There’s not a lot to do here.”
He says that more needs to be done to attract tourist like other Welsh seaside towns nearby.
He added: “We do get quite a few tourists but most just arrive by train and stay for a few hours before going to Snowdonia or beaches further down the coast.
“This place is a bit of a dump I suppose but it has the same anti-social behaviour problems as other places.
“There are fights when people have had too much to drink but that happens everywhere.
“There does need more investment.”
Gwynedd Council has been approached for comment.
History of Bangor
The city’s name is Welsh for “wattled enclosure”, meaning it takes its name from the fenced area that originally surrounded the cathedral site.
In 973 the city became the site of peace talks between Iago, ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and Hywel who had usurped him.
The talks were facilitated by Edgar, King of England, who persuaded the warring kings to share ruling the realm.
Bangor remained a relatively small settlement until the beginning of the 18th century, when it was designated a postal town on the route to Ireland.
It then developed a shipbuilding industry and tourism via steamboats from Liverpool docks.
In 1826, the Menai Bridge was built, connecting the isle of Anglesey to the mainland physically for the first time.
By 1848, the city had a train station, allowing tourists to visit it more easily.
In 1893, the Garth Pier opened. It’s the second-longest pier in Wales and is now Grade II listed.
During World War II, Bangor was used to rehouse parts of the BBC to avoid the blitz in London. The corporation still retains facilities in the city to this day.
Which? Travel surveyed thousands of people about their experiences at 120 UK seaside towns, asking for their views on a range of criteria, including the quality of the beaches, food and drink offerings, tourist attractions and value for money.
Other seaside towns that failed to hit the mark with tourists in the survey included Southend-on-Sea in Essex and Blackpool, despite having more investment.
Despite its drab appearance, the small city could be a hidden gem for those looking to explore nearby hiking trails on a budget, and not to be sniffed at.
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