Clinical Education at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor

Studying at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor

Location

The Trust has its largest hospital and main administrative centre at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, but has peripheral hospitals which cover a large geographical area from Holyhead in the North to Tywyn in the South, and from Pwllheli in the west to Llandudno in the East.

Bangor is an ancient cathedral city situated between Snowdon and the sea. The city’s main cultural and shopping centre is compact and convenient, and Bangor is cheaper and safer than most university cities. In the centre of the city one will find many shops, bars, a theatre and all the needed amenities close to hand. There is a gym situated on the university accommodation site with student rates available.

It is an area of outstanding natural beauty, with the mountains, lakes and forests of the Snowdonia National Park and miles of dramatic coastline. The area is generally regarded as one of the best in the UK for climbing, mountain biking, canoeing and surfing and is only eight miles from the foot of Snowdon so it is a good idea to bring adequate footwear and waterproofs for hill walking or climbing. Plas Menai, The National Watersports Centre, is a five minute drive from the hospital and offers an unrivalled choice of water and mountain sport courses. Plas-y-Brenin, the National Mountain Centre, and The National White Water rafting centre are only a short drive away. Students can also hire mountain bikes via Kim in the Clinical School office.

Places to visit include historical towns and castles (Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Conwy Castles are all world heritage sites) and scenic towns and villages in Snowdonia, such as Llanberis, Beddgelert, Betws-y-Coed and Portmeirion.

The area has excellent road and rail links with the rest of the country. The A55 expressway provides links to Wrexham (50 min), Chester (approx 1 hr), Liverpool (1 hr 30) and Manchester (2 hrs). Rail facilities are good with direct links to the north-west of England as well as London and south Wales. In addition, the ferry service at Holyhead provides direct access to Dublin in 99 minutes.