Bangor Cathedral features on Royal Mail’s 2024 Christmas stamp collection.

An illustration of it adorns the First Class Large Class stamp. It is one of five UK cathedrals to feature on the stamps along with Edinburgh, Armagh, Liverpool and Westminster.

The stamps have been illustrated by British artist, Judy Joel.

Bishop of Bardsey the Rt Reverend David Morris, said: “We are delighted Royal Mail has chosen Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor to feature in their Christmas stamp collection. It really is a beautiful design and I look forward to receiving my first Christmas card with the Bangor Cathedral Royal Mail stamp.

“It is particularly significant for us as we prepare to celebrate 1,500 years since St Deiniol established a community in Bangor and founded the cathedral and city we see today. We hope the stamp will encourage visitors to the cathedral during our Christmas celebrations.”

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “We are delighted Bangor Cathedral features on our First Class Large Christmas stamp. Cathedrals are a hugely significant part of our cultural heritage and play an important role in local communities. They also offer space for peaceful reflection and a bit of an escape from the challenges of daily life, which can be especially important at Christmas.”

In ad 525, St Deiniol set up a missionary community enclosed by a bangor, or hazel fence, in a low-lying spot on the Menai Strait between the mountains of Snowdonia and the shores of Anglesey. Deiniol was one of the 6th-century Celtic saints who, after the departure of the Romans from Britain, sustained a Christian presence along the western shores of Wales. In the ensuing years, the monastery was plundered several times; nothing of the original building survives.

Bangor is the provincial cathedral of the Church in Wales, as the Bishop of Bangor is also the Archbishop of Wales.

The stamps, released on Tuesday, 5 November, are available to buy at www.royalmail.com/christmas2024, by telephone on 03457 641 641 and at 7,000 Post Offices across the UK. A Presentation Pack including all five stamps costs £10.35.