Appeal to protect pier with 'best views in the UK'

Garth Pier, the second longest in Wales, boasts views over the Menai Strait, Anglesey, Llandudno and the mountains of Eryri

A £40,000 appeal has been launched to repair and safeguard one of Wales' best-known piers.

The Friends of Garth Pier in Bangor, Gwynedd, want to complete essential work on the 1896-built pier's substructure in order to "protect it for generations to come".

The 1,500-ft (457m) Grade II-listed structure, the second longest pier in Wales, boasts views over the Menai Strait, Anglesey, Llandudno and the mountains of Eryri, also known as Snowdonia.

In 2022 it was also named the National Piers Society's pier of the year, with judges saying it "boasts the best panorama of views of any pier in the UK".

The 1,500-ft (457m) Grade II-listed structure was named the National Piers Society's pier of the year in 2022

Having faced threats of demolition over the years, it is owned and maintained by Bangor city council, who bought the pier for 1p in 1975.

A £1mrestoration programme to restore parts of the structure was completed in 2022, with pier supporters noting these latest works would form the last phase of the project.

Vanessa Hawkins says she is "very excited" to get the pier finished

Vice chairwoman of Friends of Garth Pier, Vanessa Hawkins, said the £40,000 from the appeal would be matched with funding from the city council.

"The substructure isn't a very exciting part as its underneath the planks, so you can't see it, but its vitally important to keep it safe," she said.

Medwyn Hughes, the mayor of Bangor, is confident that the £40,000 will be raised

"The pier has always been a place that local people come to for fun, the children come to crab... it's really important to the community and a lovely place to be," she said.

She said the current renovation process started in 2017 as the substructure had not been touched since the pier's previous reopening in 1988.

"Since then Bangor city council has spent £2.2m on the substructure, and now we just have the last two phases to finish out of six in total.

"We're very excited that just £40,000, with council match funding, will get this finished."

On a wet and windy Monday morning the city's mayor Medwyn Hughes said he was confident the target would be reached.

"The climate is changing, the environment isn't favourable to a structure like this so the plan is that we strengthen the structure underneath the platform," he said.

"A day like today is about showing that we need the money to do that."

The current renovation process started in 2017 and the substructure had not been touched since the pier's previous reopening in 1988

"We've completed three quarters of the work, this is the last quarter to make it safe for the next 25 years," he added.

"The residents of Bangor have put their hands in their pockets over many years... its part of our history and heritage.

"The pier is the attraction as far as I'm concerned, we had over 100,000 visitors last year which is quite a number.

"Last week we had a couple from Hungary who found the pier were thrilled to bits with the place.

"Its a fantastic place to come."