Explore the history and heritage of Bridgend County Borough
Lost castles, famous ironworks and former WWII prisoner of war camps are among the areas and locations that will be opened up this September as part of the ‘Open Doors’ initiative.
Designed to give local people an opportunity to explore the area’s rich history and heritage, Bridgend County Borough Council and the Civic Trust for Wales will be teaming up to offer a series of free events focusing on places and buildings that are not normally available to the public.
The full list of events is as follows:
Saturday 3 September
- Newcastle Hill and castle, 10:30am-11:30am: A guided walk around an extremely historic corner of Bridgend town, including the castle which will be specially opened for the event. Meet outside the New Angel at the foot of the hill.
- Porthcawl Museum: An open day and a new exhibition at this historic former police station, which was built in 1881 and first opened as a museum in 1977. Its fascinating collection features more than 5,700 items and includes costumes, artefacts, militaria, ceramics, photographs, documents and archaeological finds from around the local area.
Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September:
- St John’s Hospice, Newcastle Hill 10am-4pm: An open day with hourly tours around the mid sixteenth century hearth-passage town house, complete with musical accompaniment. Please note that there is no wheelchair access available at the property, and that access to the upper floor is steep and narrow.
Saturday 10 September
- Oldcastle, 1pm-2.30pm: A guided walk around one of the oldest parts of the town centre in search of evidence for a mysterious castle which is rumoured to have given the area its name. Meet outside Nolton Church (St. Mary’s).
Saturday 17 September
- Garw Railway, 11am-3pm: Guided tours of the locomotive works at Old Station Yard, an exhibition and talks on the various engines that have been restored or are undergoing work there. If the weather is good, there will also be miniature locomotive rides on five-inch and 10¼-inch gauge tracks.
- Garw Calon Lan, 10am-6pm (last walk at 5pm): Guided walks exploring the mining heritage of the Blaengarw area and the story of Daniel James, the poet who wrote the famous hymn, ‘Calon Lan’. Meet at the Blaengarw Visitor Centre, Gwendoline Street and follow the signs to Parc Calon Lan.
Saturday 24 September
- Bridgend town centre, 2pm-3pm: A guided walk around Dunraven Place, the historical core of the town centre and the location of an award-winning townscape heritage initiative which is restoring local buildings to their former glory. Meet at the Old Stone Bridge.
- Bedford Ironworks and Cefn Junction Box, 10am-5pm: An all-day exhibition at the restored signal box plus guided walks at 11am and 2pm exploring the industrial heritage of the local area, including the ironworks.
Sunday 25 September
- Hut Nine, Island Farm POW Camp, 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm: A rare opportunity to enter the compound at Hut Nine, all that remains of the former WWII prisoner of war camp, and learn about its history. Please note that this isolated location is not suitable for disabled access, and has no parking or public facilities – booking is also essential, so call (01656) 815214 for more details.
- Court Colman, 2pm-4pm: An open day at the historic former home of the Llywelyn family, which was associated with Margam Abbey, prominent in both Victorian and Edwardian times and which still features a Tudor gateway leading to a garden house. The tour will provide public access to parts of the building which are not normally accessible.
Deputy Leader David Sage said: “The Open Doors programme is a great way for residents of Bridgend County Borough to find out more about the area’s history and heritage, and I hope the events will be well supported.”
For more information, visit www.opendoorsdays.org.uk or look out for ‘Under The Skin’ leaflets.
- Last Updated: 23/08/2011
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