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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Bangor Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Bangor Castell

In the community of Bangor.
In the historic county of Caernarfonshire.
Modern authority of Gwynedd.
Preserved county of Gwynedd.

OS Map Grid Reference: SH58327127
Latitude 53.21955° Longitude -4.12348°

Bangor Castle has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are no visible remains.
Description

About the year 1080, Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, in order to assist his descent upon the Isle of Anglesey, and to secure the conquests he had already made in North Wales, erected a castle, about a quarter of a mile south-east of the city, on the ridge of hills which bounds the vale. Of this castle, no particular event is recorded in the history of the principality; probably after the restoration of Grufydd ab Cynan to the throne from which the earl had expelled him, it was either destroyed immediately, or suffered to fall gradually into ruins. (Lewis 1849)

The Tithe Award map is marked Castell at this spot, RCAHMW fieldwork in 1948 describes the site as comprising a semi-circular rampart with no structural remains. RCAHMW Investigator, W.E. Griffiths suggests the site is unlikely to be ancient and believes that the mound may be the remains of quarrying or may possibly be connected with the construction of the adjacent railway tunnel.
Source: NMR site files. (Coflein)
Comments

The castle built by Hugh is usually supposed to be Aber. This can not be railway spoil if seen by Lewis before 1849, well before the construction of the railway. The Tithe map is also likely to have been made well before the existence of the railway so even if Griffiths was not aware of Lewis his dismissal of the site as 'unlikely to be ancient' seems injudicious. The location is most like that of a barrow. It would seem to be a damaged mound and the semi-circular form may suggest a barrow that has robbed.
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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This record last updated before 1 February 2016
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