The
name Maesgeirchen describes the oat field that was part of the Tyddyn
Llwydyn farm, which is situated exactly where the Estate is today.
There were so many slum dwellings in Bangor City after the first
world war that it was essential the Council did something about
it. Under the 1930 Housing Act an allocation of funding was offered
to the Councils by the Labour Government to build houses.
The owners of the land on the outskirts of the City were not willing
to sell the land to the Council, for the purpose of building Council
houses. Lord Penrhyn offered to sell 70 acres of land to the council
which was a part of the Maesgeirchen Farm which was on the Southern
slopes of Bangor Mountain and overlooking the Cegin Valley.
The Housing committe's commendation of the Maesgeirchen site was
greeted with a storm of protest as the land was situated on the
other side of the Bangor mountain and far away from the City centre.To
rehouse people there would be like turning them out of the City.
But on the 15th June 1936 a resolution was carried with a majority
of one vote to build houses on Maesgeirchen. The work of building
the Maesgeirchen Estate proceeded. immediately with 304 houses were
built on Penrhyn Avenue were built by 1939. A piece of land at the
centre of the Estate was allocated for future development of shops
and community centre. In 1952 a Chapel was built by the Presbyterian
Church of Wales , but unfortunately by now the Chapel has closed
its doors but the building is being used as a Youth Centre. In 1958
a Church was built by the Church of Wales named Eglwys y Groes.
238 more houses were built in Maesgeirchen between 1953-1958 and
102 houses were completed in 1967-68 which were named Tan y Bryn
as well as Glan Cegin School.
In 1968 there were 3,000 people living on the Estate. Between 1983
and 1998 houses called Tan y Coed were built and these border the
Schools perimeter. From the outset two shops have been a part of
the Estate and these two shops are still in existance today having
been modernised, along with a Fish and Chips Shop, Newspaper shop,
Hairdresser Shop, and a Post Office.
When building started on the Maesgeirchen Estate the council departed
from its usual costom of giving Welsh names to all the streets and
the road joining the A5 was called Penrhyn Avenue in honor of Lord
Penrhyn who had provided the site. Other names given to the streets
were Greenwood Avenue commemerating Arthur Greenwood who was the
Minister of Health in 1929-31 Labour Government and the architect
of the act which the Estate was built. Kingsley Avenue honors Kingsley
Wood who as the Minister of Health at the time the houses were built.
The Estate was officially opened by Lord Penrhyn, in November 1937,
and by building the Estate a discrete working class suburb detached
from the rest if Bangor City was created.
