3963

 

I  

Designated  

27/05/1949  

08/01/2025  

Bangor University Main Arts (formerly University College of North Wales main building)  

 

Gwynedd  

Bangor  

 

 

257940  

372337  

 

Dominating the view of Upper Bangor, main entrance on College Road.  

Education  

 

In 1881, the Aberdare Report advised William Gladstone’s Liberal government to establish two University Colleges in Wales, one in the north and one in the south, a scheme first proposed by Owain Glyndwr in the early fifteenth century. A popular campaign to raise funds saw many slate quarrymen subscribe a regular donation from their wages towards the establishment of the North Wales College, which was founded in 1884 in the slate exporting port of Bangor. The college was initially based in the former Penrhyn Arms Hotel, which had a sign in English reading ‘Knowledge is Power’ added to its entrance. The present Penrallt site was donated by the Bangor Corporation in 1902 for a purpose-built college building which was built 1907-11 by Henry T Hare (1860-1921), architect of London; chosen following a competition assessed by Sir Aston Webb. The designs, described by Hare himself as "generally of late Renaissance character" were modified by the University to take full advantage of the sloping hilltop site with Isambard Owen proposing two quadrangles at differing levels with the smaller one terraced, on the model of Oxford’s quads and Cambridge’s courts. Contractors were Messrs Thornton and Sons of Liverpool; metalwork by William Bainbridge Reynolds of London. Foundation stone with Welsh and Latin inscription laid by Edward VII on 9 July 1907; Tudor style down-pipes etc dated 1909. The building was officially opened 14 June 1911 by George V having cost ca £175,000. The intention was that more funds would be raised to allow Hare to return and add a further two wings completing the larger of the two quadrangles, providing space for the College’s science departments which remained at the Penrhyn Arms Hotel. These plans were frustrated first by the First World War and then by the architect’s death. The college building was described in his obituary as Hare’s finest work. A separate sciences campus on Deiniol Road was established in the interwar period and it was not until the 1960s that the larger quadrangle (with sundial) was completed in two phases by the Percy Thomas Partnership during a UK wide expansion in higher education provision. Library extension complete 1963, Arts and Humanities teaching wing with main entrance completed 1968. The whole structure is now generally known as ‘Main Arts’. In 2007 the University College changed its name to Bangor University and since 2009 awards degrees only under this name and not that of the University of Wales. Statuary - Henry Hare provided niches for statues to be filled with Welsh historical figures chosen by the College. The statues in the four faces of the central tower are of Welsh political and religious leaders and were funded by HR Davies: St David, Owain Gwynedd, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Owain Glyndwr. Elsewhere are statues of literary figures- Lewis Morris (1701–1765) was a poet, scholar and cartographer from Anglesey. He is depicted holding a map and compasses. The statue was presumably financed by John Prichard-Jones along with the rest of Prichard-Jones Hall to which it is attached. Goronwy Owen (1723-1769) was a renowned poet and cleric from Anglesey who emigrated to America in 1757. In his last years Owen purchased a tobacco and cotton plantation in 1761 and kept enslaved persons at his home in Williamsburg, Virginia. Statue funded by pupils past and present of Friars school, Bangor. Bishop William Morgan (c.1545-1604) was the first translator of the whole Bible into Welsh. Funds for statue raised by Canon Fairchild, Principal of the North Wales teacher training college in Bangor. This was the last niche filled and statues of Dafydd ap Gwilym or Elis Wynne were also considered for it.  

The scheme is linked and focused upon the cathedral like central tower. Henry Hare’s 1911 sections in buff coloured Cefn stone in snecked courses with freestone dressings and flat buttresses; slate roofs with parapet and stone chimney stacks. Mullioned and transomed windows with leaded lights. Starting at the northwest Prichard-Jones Hall range facing College Road. 2-storey, 6-window front with advanced end pavilions. Steep roof, crenelated parapet and bellcote with lantern and spirelet. Tall segmental headed hall windows, double-transomed and with panel tracery; projecting flat roof ground floor with entrances to either end, deeply recessed doors. Left hand end pavilion had central stepped buttress flanked to 2nd floor by 2 segmental headed windows with unusual tear-drop oculi; right hand pavilion is lower with dentil cornice over 3-light window. The original main entrance is on the SW gable end of this range. Broad gable with Tudor octagonal end turrets and Baroque niches containing statue of Lewis Morris to apex. Central segmental headed 4-light double-transomed and panel traceried window with flanking buttresses. Advanced below is a triple arched porch with panelled pilasters, coasts of arms and Latin inscription dated 1911. Enriched spandrels over recessed entrances with double doors and lugged architraves to each. Shaped gables at right angles to either side, to the advanced end bays of the adjoining ranges; commemorative tablets with garlanded borders below each gable. At the top of the steps up to the entrance are cast-iron square, tapered lamp standards with bracketed octagonal lamps and openwork ornament. The spinal/administrative range, together with the 1911 Library wing, forms an ‘L’ plan group to the E side of the larger SW quadrangle. The former has an 8-bay, 2-storey front, the advanced left hand bay as above, parapet is balustraded over cross frame windows with architraves to 1st floor and semicircular pediments to ground floor. Baroque entrance to centre with small-pane circular window over door. The 2-stage tower to right has crenelated parapet and taller stair turret to SE side; splayed corners. 2 segmental-headed double-transomed windows flanking ogee niche to each face; niches contain statues of St David (NW), Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (NE), Owain Gwynedd (SE), and Owain Glyndwr (SW) over coats of arms. The 1911 Library wing at right angles has a 9-window front with central royal coat of arms; 2 bays are advanced with tall 1st floor oriel windows. Crenelated parapet and gabled and panelled buttress pilasters. Arched headed lights, square headed 1st floor windows and segmental headed ground floor windows and entrance which has open pedimented doorcase, lugged architrave and double doors. Plaque with Latin inscription. Advanced gable ended bay to far right facing 1963 Library block with attic window above statue of Goronwy Owain flanked by cross frame windows under overall label. Gable end to Penrallt Road has full height buttresses, extruded corners and small attic windows. Central 2-storey splayed bay with horseshoe shaped high arch above containing recessed 3-light window - no leaded glass to this elevation. The 3-storey SE side of the Library overlooking the city has 1+9 bay front, (stylistically foreshadowing Sir Edwin Lutyens at Castle Drogo). Attic to the advanced and gabled end bay with Baroque scrolls over stepped buttresses; 2nd floor has statue of Bishop Morgan flanked by cross frame windows under overall label. Symmetrical to right with a repeat of the courtyard elevation as above with the addition of a slightly swept out ground floor with single light windows and entrances below the oriels; 1st floor windows set in splayed recesses. Forward to right beyond the tower is the SE range of the NE courtyard. This has a gabled SW end with slate hung attic to left and chimney breast to right, the latter with open-pedimented tablet. 2-storey porch facing Penrallt road entrance with part balustraded parapet, tapered buttresses on chamfered corners and round arched entry with multi-pane fanlight - swagged shield over. The main 3-storey and attic SE elevation is symmetrical with an especially collegiate feel to it. Tapered cross range gable ends advanced at the end advanced at the end of 10-bay range, the ground floor of which is arcaded and the central 4 bays open, forming a loggia; storey chimney stacks and flat roof attics over parapet. 2nd floor cornice extend to edges of end pavilions over shield; splayed broad buttresses. Lintels over 1st floor windows and broad ground floor windows, bowed to centre and with high parapets containing UCNW monogram, 1st floor double transomed windows between have lugged architraves and open pediments. Stilted arch arcade windows and part glazed doors to ends of loggia. The NE end of this range is a repeat of the SW gable end. Advanced to its right is a 3-window bay with boldly tapered end pilasters; double transomed 1st floor windows. 9-bay tall roofed range beyond set into the hillside; largely 2-storey and attic with higher attic to south-eastern 3 bays, also with double transomed ground floor windows. Dividing pilasters to remaining bays. Segmental headed entrance to NW end bay and a smaller one lower down. Octagonal bellcote. The gabled NW return elevation is partly screened by the broader gable end of the hall range, which has a stronger Arts and Crafts feel to it - 4-light gable window, crenelated broad end pilasters with narrow lights and grills to lower windows. The enclosed smaller NE courtyard is terraced with similar detail to that on the exterior of each range. The Hall range is at the top and has an ivy clad ground floor projection. The inner side of the SE range is symmetrical; lower gabled projection with polygonal corner turrets, lateral chimney breasts and frontis-piece with 3-light transomed window over scrolled inscription and round arched entrance. Six 2nd floor and three 1st floor segmental headed windows to either side; projecting ground floor. To SW the range is dominated by the tower’s 6-storey NE face; including splayed oriel with crenelated parapet and recessed plain Venetian window; lowest stage splayed out. Twin gabled 3-storey block projects to right of the tower matching similar projection opposite (NE range). The 4-tier terrace has rubble walls, freestone copings and ball finials, and central abstract steel sculpture on rusticated concrete plinth entitled ‘The Genesis’ by John Robinson, installed 1993 donated by Harwin Components Ltd, Ynyswen, Treorchy. The 1963 Library extension is at a right angle to the 1911 Library wing, the two connected by a two storey glazed link, and forms the long SW side of the larger SW quadrangle. Wide and shallow flat roofed Modernist cuboid with two storeys facing the quadrangle and an additional basement level facing Penrallt road. Concrete frame clad in local slate stone blocks in a variety of shades laid in snecked courses to match the Henry Hare scheme, with plain concrete entablature of frieze and slight cornice. Steel framed windows with massive horizontal glazed rectangle to upper two floors on both long sides with 6 lights to upper floor and 4 lights below separated vertically by 24 triangular prism concrete mullions (plus half mullions at far ends) and horizontally by light terrazzo square panels. Main entrance on far left of inner elevation is sheltered by cantilevered concrete slab portico, with panel window above letterboxed by dark terrazzo. Penrallt road elevation has six two-pane horizontal windows to basement level widely spaced in the slate stone plinth and to far right glazing over three floors divided by terrazzo panels in different shades. A shorter square two storey block in the same materials to the northwest end (connected by short concrete link section) was also built 1963 and used as plinth for one end of the 1968 extension, which begins at right angle to the Library, completes the main quadrangle by closing off the northwest side, with return towards southeast to join with gable end of entrance block in front of Pritchard Jones Hall. This is Brutalist with an expressed bush hammered concrete frame, steel-framed glazing and a trapezoidal felt roof. Four storeys in height, but across most of the northwest range the upper three storeys are held up on thin pilotis allowing pedestrian and vehicle access into the quad. Towards north corner a snecked slatestone curtain wall with upper section of concrete panels resumes to ground level, with a curved rear wall (to lecture room) projecting into the underpass continuing into projecting sloping dividing wall between the underpass and the north corner reception block. North corner block completing the northeast range is heavily glazed to ground floor housing main entrance and reception. Overhanging upper two floors with cantilevers on all three outward facing sides use tall vertical windows separated by double floor height concrete mullions. Dormers and small balconies to top floor. NE link section joining the Brutalist corner block to Pritchard Jones Hall more restrained with ribbon windows to first and second floors on both sides.  

Main doors to Pritchard Jones Hall block open onto a part groin vaulted entrance hall with original 3-lamp light fittings and brass War Memorial tablets by F Osborne and Co Ltd of London. Straight ahead is the 150 ft long Pritchard Jones Hall. 9-bay arches coffered ceiling with panelled ribs and strapwork ornamented ceiling panels, apsidal dais end; coats of arms over windows, panelled dado and other fine woodwork detail etc. Gallery raked over the entrance hall with panelled screen front and segmental open-pediments to the 3 doorways, Original brass light fittings (octagonal). Main staircase lies to SE in groin vaulted stairwell - marble topped ‘closed’ stone balustrade; stained glass window. Open pedimented and carved doorcase at top leads to hall gallery. To SE run 2 tiers of groin vaulted corridors with panelled ribs (not glazed until after 2nd Work War). 1st floor has various bronze oval plaques, panelled doors and cornices and similar pedimented doorcase at SE end leading to back stairs; plainer ground floor corridor. Stained glass windows at SE end by Dudley Forsyth of London 1910, the classical subject and signed "Architectus Dedit" with the monogram of a hare. Additional stained glass by Forsyth relocated from Ebeneser Presbyterian Chapel, Newborough in 2024. Short arms of the passages lead off to the Library, that to the 1st floor contains a porcelain museum. The finest single room is the Council Chamber on 1st floor - segmental vaulted ceiling with panelled Jacobean plasterwork and coats of arms of the Welsh Princes full height wainscoting, segmental pedimented doorcases and ashlar fireplaces and overmantels with panelled and fireplaces. Also contains 2 busts by W Goscombe John, one of William Cadwallader Davies and another of Sir Isambard Owen. NE range has smaller Powis chamber concert hall with coved ceiling ridges and the Hall of Illusion Mural painted 1991 to 1993 by Ed Povey, with seven panels framed by trompe-l’oeil stonework. SE range has metal staircase with barley twist uprights to courtyard side. Library range contains the ground floor Lloyd Reading Room which Hare had intended to be a museum and the 1st floor Shankland Library with segmental vaulted roof with square panel-lining and 36 heraldic shielded in oak frames. Two bays are screened off (corresponding to those with external oriels) and have broken Baroque pedimented openings - 1 bay also has wooden gates. Splayed oriel over entrance with similar doorcase. 1960s library wing is mainly open plan, foyer area and central staircase with timber rail have dark terrazzo flooring with yellow lozenges and stair risers. One rear window has an art nouveau cast iron balustrade believed to have been donated by Lord Kenyon, President of the College. Main Arts reception is altered. First floor corridor links six double floor height lecture rooms, with second floor having only offices along one side and third floor a mix of offices and seminar rooms, some with balconies and others with over lighting from dormers.  

Listed, notwithstanding Goronwy Owen’s ownership of enslaved persons, for exceptional architectural and historic interest. Architecturally, one of the most significant public buildings of the period in Britain and historically, the foremost institution in Wales to pioneer the academic development of the Welsh language. The 1960s extensions by the Percy Thomas Partnership, the leading mid C20 architectural practice in Wales, are of special architectural interest in their own right. These completed the originally planned main quadrangle in Modernist style while acknowledging the University’s history in their choice of materials. Group value with other Listed University buildings in the city.