Brick Street Bangor

[Meirion]

The family recently found that we had ancestors who lived on Brick Street in Bangor. Of course there isnt much to see there now as most of the area is a car park. Does anybody have any photos of Brick Street as it was prior to the demolition of the houses in the area? It would be nice to get an idea of where our ancestor lived. Many thanks.

[Admin (Matt)]

Brick Street is in the Dean area near what is now the Octagon nightclub.


Earlier map.




Later Map (before demolition)

This shows the proximity the houses in Brick Street were.... http://www.bangorcivicsociety.org.uk/pages/hisso/dev01/sc8.htm and by the looks of it Brick Street was one of the worst offenders.... this is from the The Development of Bangor (1935) publication about the house clearances. It has several photos of the surrounding streets giving some indication of the architecture, we know from above the houses were 12 feet apart facing each other, 6 feet being the road and 6 feet being pavements running down both sides.

If I come across any photos I'll post them here.

[Admin (Matt)]

Also telling is the sheer lack of any businesses on Brick Street in an era where there was a shop on every street. http://www.bangorcivicsociety.org.uk/pages/hisso/index.htm#directories

[Admin (Matt)]

The Tabernacle Chapel was used as a rollerskating ring for a time before being purchased by James Hare and expanded and converted into a 800 seat theatre opening in 1912. It became a picture house by 1918 with talkies by 1930. This expansion appears to have taken in the best part of 5 houses on Brick Street the third map being of the Cinema era.  

The name Brick Street was probably named so after William Williams brickmaker who bought the plot in 1815 from the Dean and erected 30 houses (from Welsh Church Manuscripts). Williams also purchased land in Hirael (William Street).

I've come across quite a few images showing Hirael houses for both pre and during demolition, however few images of the Dean clearance esp. Brick Street!

I'd recommend a trip to the archives in Caernarfon if you get chance... allegedly a cache of 40 photographs of houses exists in addition to the below which might interest...

XD19/12.
FILE of Summonses and Agenda Books, Bangor Borough Council, being those listing housing clearance orders. Printed.

XB9/16/9

REGISTER of advances to residents of Bangor made under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act and/or the Housing Acts

XS3258/80

A Dean Street woman and her small daughter [possibly in Brick Street, Bangor]. [?1920’s.] Neg. Ref. 9/17/10A. [See also XM/T/433].

[Admin (Matt)]

Finally an idea of who was living there (from the 1851 Census)