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bryn dinas (b) thanks to lyn dafis
// Halls of residence (from Wikipedia)
Development
The story of the halls of residence is complicated by the changes of name associated with particular buildings.
The red-brick 'University Hall', built in a Queen Anne style, was the first substantial block, opened in 1897.[10] This building was to become the Welsh language hall 'Neuadd John Morris-Jones' in 1974 (named after professor John Morris Jones[4] and is the current Neuadd Rathbone.
Neuadd Reichel, built on the Ffriddoedd Farm site, designed in a neo-Georgian style by architect Percy Thomas, was opened in 1942 as a hostel for male students.[4][10]
Expansion in the 1960s led to the development of Plas Gwyn in 1963-64 and Neuadd Emrys Evans in 1965, both on the Ffriddoedd site, and Neuadd Rathbone at the top of Love Lane in 1965.[4] Neuadd Rathbone, designed by Colwyn Foulkes and named after the second president of the college, was originally for women students only.[10] The names of Neuadd Rathbone and Neuadd John Morris-Jones were later exchanged with each other. The building originally opened as Neuadd Rathbone is now known as Neuadd Garth.
Plas Gwyn and Neuadd Emrys Evans were demolished in 2008-09 to make way for the present halls.
Current provision
Accommodation is guaranteed for all single, undergraduate first year students at Bangor. There are over 2,000 rooms available in halls of residence, and all of the accommodation is within walking distance of the university.
All the sites are managed directly from the Halls Office. Support is available during the daytime from the Halls Office, University Security Staff and Student Services and out of hours and at weekend from the resident Senior Wardens. The university also employs a team of student wardens to live in every hall of residence.
There are four residential sites in current use:
Ffriddoedd SiteThe largest accommodation site is the Friddoedd Site in Upper Bangor about 10 minutes walk from Top College, the Science Site and city centre. This site has 11 new en-suite halls completed in 2009, 6 other en-suite halls built in the 1990s and Neuadd Reichel built in the 1940s, and includes a coffee shop, launderettes, convenience shop, Bar Uno and Maes Glas Sports Hall.
Two of the en-suite halls, Bryn Dinas and Tegfan, now incorporate the new Neuadd John Morris Jones which started its life in 1974 in College Road and has, along with its equivalent Neuadd Pantycelyn in Aberystwyth, became a hub of Welsh identity. It is also the main focal point of Welsh language activities of the university and is an integral part of UMCB, which is the Welsh Students' Union, part of the main Students' Union body. The hall itself is affectionately known as 'JMJ' to all its students and alumni.
The halls on "Ffridd" (pron. freeth as in breathe) site include Cefn y Coed, Y Glyder, Y Borth, Elidir, JMJ Bryn Dinas and JMJ Tegfan (all of which were built in the early 1990s), Adda, Alaw, Braint, Crafnant, Enlli, Peris, Glaslyn, Llanddwyn, Ffraw, Idwal and Gwynant (which were all built in the late 2000s) and the newly refurbished Neuadd Reichel, built in the 1940s.
"Ffridd" is the Welsh word for mountain pasture or sheep path; "ffriddoedd" is its plural form.
Normal SiteThe Normal Site is on the shores of the Menai Strait next to the School of Education and School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences and the closest residences to the School of Ocean Sciences in Menai Bridge. The site has two self-catered halls: Neuadd Seiriol and Neuadd Arfon.
The site is named after the former Bangor Normal College, which has since been incorporated into the university (see history above), and was established for the training of teachers (see Normal School).
St. Mary's SiteOne hall is open on this site, Bryn Eithin overlooks the centre of Bangor and is close to the Science Departments and School of Informatics. This is a postgraduate site and has three blocks accommodating ninety six students. Though at the beginning of the new century, and possibly for many prior years, this shared a site office, launderette and common room with the neighbouring other St Mary's site halls and Barlow's halls, until the latter closed to students in 2004. All three parts of the halls were used pre-dominantly by undergraduates at this time.
In Welsh, "Bryn" means "hill," and "Eithin" means "gorse."
College RoadCollege Road has one hall situated there, Neuadd Garth (formerly Neuadd John Morris Jones, before that Neuadd Rathbone), this is the only catered hall. The site is located a stone's throw from the Main Arts building in Upper Bangor, and departments such as Psychology, Music and the College of Business, Social Sciences and Law. Neuadd Garth, after going under refurbishment in 2012-13, is now the home to Postgraduate students and Students with Families. Neuadd Rathbone (formerly Neuadd John Morris Jones, before that University Hall) which is located on the site, was previously a hall of residence but will be remodeled during the academic year 2011-12, to accommodate Student Services and will no longer be occupied by students as a hall of residence.
Private hallsA private hall of residence called 'Neuadd Willis' (named after a well-liked and respected architect) has been built (2006), incorporating the old listed British Hotel with a new build extension to the rear and a further hall on the site of the old Plaza cinema. A new hall was opened on the high street in 2013 named 'Neuadd Penrhyn' and is owned by the same company as Neuadd Willis. This is not a university owned or managed hall.