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Porthcawl
At the western tip of the Heritage Coast is Porthcawl, a favourite with generations of holiday-makers. A perfect place for the great traditional seaside holiday - deckchairs on the sand, ice-cream cones, candy floss, sticks of rock, fish and chips on the prom or take in a seaside show at Porthcawl's popular seafront theatre. Enjoy the Pedestrian Town Centre with a varied range of good restaurants and hotels.
Enjoy a stroll along the promenade or for fun and excitement,
Coney Beach Pleasure Park has a variety of rides and amusements including "The Megablitz" - an impressive 'white-knuckle’ roller-coaster. Nearby Trecco Bay Holiday Park is home to Europe's largest caravan resort with a host of entertainment and attractions for everyone.
As an added advantage, Porthcawl has award-winning, clean sandy beaches at Sandy Bay, Trecco Bay and in complete contrast to the lively eastern side of the resort is tranquil Rest Bay, a European Blue Flag beach. Porthcawl is a surfers' paradise and the ‘Peach Pit’ surfer’s restaurant near the car park is an ideal stop, while this stretch of coast also attracts sailors, water skiers and fishing enthusiasts.
Why not enjoy a ride on the "Promenade Princess" This delightful attraction offers both a means of getting around Porthcawl, and a great fun-ride, which will appeal to all ages. The new train, which was named following a competition for local primary school children, runs from Eastern promenade. Starting outside Coney Beach Fun Fair, the train passes the working Harbour where the RNLI have a base before travelling along the Esplanade with its new promenade and on to Rest Bay. You could get off the train here and spend your day on the golden sands, relax on grassy Locks Common or explore the secluded sand and rock pools. The headlands above Rest Bay are the home of the famous Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. On your return, stop at the Grand Pavilion where you can enjoy a refreshment break while you find out about the current shows being staged.
Porthcawl, a jewel of the Heritage Coast, is not only a great place to relax and enjoy the seaside, it’s also a great place to shop! Take a stroll along pedestrianised John Street and enjoy a hassle-free experience for shopping or visit the Heritage Coast Tourist Information Centre.
There is such a variety of different Shops and Stores that it’s wise to make a full day of it, with lunch in one of the many top quality Cafes or Restaurants. There are Pubs with traditional bar meals; Pubs with exotic bar meals; Cafes with traditional fish and chips or restaurants with high quality Mediterranean menus. There’s also takeaway sandwiches and rolls, or Hotels with ‘a la carte’ service. Ice Cream Parlours or traditional Coffee Bars or maybe a leisurely ice cream on the esplanade, overlooking the sea!
That’s not all Porthcawl has to offer. Today’s resort has a legacy of fascinating Heritage and history, some of which is displayed at the town’s Museum in John Street.
The construction of the old town began in the early 19th century when the harbour was built to service the expanding coal and iron industries in the valleys north of Bridgend. In 1825 a group of local landowners and businessmen, including the Earl of Dunraven, established the horse-drawn, Duffryn, Llynfi and Porthcawl Railway Company, which went from Maesteg in the Llynfi Valley, through the countryside and down to the sea at Porthcawl. In 1845, it took six hours to reach the port, which exported over 35,000 tons of coal and 21,000 tons of iron.
At the Harbour entrance, there is a large building built between 1830 and 1832, now used as a Skating Centre, but still known locally as ‘The Jennings Building’. From 1911 onwards, it was used as a timber warehouse and is believed to be one of the very few surviving dock buildings of its period anywhere in South Wales, and is a Grade II listed building.
Close to the Jennings Building is the white painted, cast-iron Lighthouse at the outer end of the main breakwater. It was built in 1866 but was modified in 1911, after the original was damaged in a storm. It was fuelled by coal gas but was converted to North Sea gas in 1974 and electricity as late as 1997.
In 1840 the docks were authorised to enlarge by extending northwards and in 1847 the Llynfi Railway Company was formed and immediately took over the Duffryn, Llynfi and Porthcawl tramroad railway.
In 1864, the dock was improved with alterations to the original entrance to the outer basin and lock gates for the inner basin, to retain a high level of water in the 7½ acre lake area allowing larger vessels to visit the port resulting in increased activity. In 1865 Porthcawl dock was eventually connected to the Llynfi and Ogmore Valleys by a steam railway mainly due to the Brogden family, from Manchester. They had iron interests at Tondu and coal interests in the Ogmore Valley. By 1871 the port exported 165,000 tons of coal compared with just over 17,000 seven years earlier.
By 1878, port trade was halved due to the decline of the iron industry but was supported briefly by an upsurge in the use of coal. In 1889 the port handled more than 800 vessels with ¾ of them loaded with coal. The future looked rosy until the new docks were opened at Barry in 1889 and in Port Talbot in 1898. They were larger, deeper and far more modern and in 1903 Porthcawl only handled 2767 tons. The inner harbour was closed in 1906 and ships used the outer harbour till 1911. The inner harbour became a popular recreational area with boating and bathing until it was subsequently filled in during the Second World War. It is now a car park known locally as Salt Lake, but the entrance to the old harbour can still be seen in the outer harbour area.
During the summer months the historic ship, Balmoral leaves Porthcawl Harbour for cruises along the Bristol Channel.
The coastline around Porthcawl is fringed with Delightful Towns, Small Villages and miles of foot and Cycle Paths. For avid walkers and cyclists, the comparatively flat coastal plain and hinterland is ideal. It’s easily accessible from the M4 junction 37, via newly completed A4229, Collect the separate ‘Legendary Villages’ booklet or the Cycle and Walking track leaflets, from the Heritage Coast Tourist Information Centre in John Street.
Just north of Porthcawl is Kenfig National Nature Reserve, one of the most important sites in Britain for nature conservation. It is home to thousands of species of animals and plants including the rare Fen Orchid. The reserve is well worth a visit as it is managed with the aims of both conservation and visitor enjoyment in mind.
Then there is the historic Norman church at Newton founded by the Knights of St. John, with St.John’s Well on the green, where weary pilgrims would take refreshment from the healing waters. The patron Saint of Wales is closely associated with the well at Nottage in fact it bears his name. St. David’s Well in Moor Lane is on the edge of this ancient village in an area called ‘Dewiscumbe’ or David’s Valley.
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