Brambell Natural History Museum

Common Chimpanzee

Date	18 April 2015
Location	Bangor	SH 57710 71943; 53.22540°N, 4.13288°W
Information	By 1887 a museum had been established in Bangor University’s first premises – the Old Penrhyn Arms Hotel – and this was used as a permanent home for the rock and mineral collection belonging to the university’s first Professor of Chemistry and Geology, James Dobbie. Bangor University’s Natural History Museum is now housed in the School of Biological Sciences’ Brambell Building. The collection is not normally open to the public, but an open day was organised under the auspices of the Engaging Collections: Widening Access to Gwynedd’s Heritage project. This is a joint initiative between the university and Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery and received a £1.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2013. As part of the project, the Bishop’s Palace in Bangor, which dates back to the 16th century, will be renovated as a new home for Gwynedd Museum, which came close to closure in 2009, but was saved following a public campaign. The initiative is also allowing management of the university’s collections to be improved, with further open days planned for the future.

Western Gorilla

Lion

Bison

Indian Elephant

Rhinoceros

Hippopotamus