21 Facts About Bridgend

Bridgend is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, 20 miles west of Cardiff and 20 miles east of Swansea.

Several prehistoric burial mounds have been found in the vicinity of Bridgend, suggesting that the area was settled before Roman times.

Bridgend developed at a ford on the River Ogmore, which was on the main route between east and west Wales.

Great Western Railway arrived and Bridgend was at the junction between the main London to Fishguard line and the branch to the three valleys.

Factory complex had three sites in Bridgend, all linked together by a large network of railways.

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Bridgend was an electoral ward to Glamorgan County Council from 1889 to 1974, electing the Earl of Dunraven as its first representative.

At the Town Council level, Bridgend is represented by nineteen town councillors on Bridgend Town Council, elected from the three town wards of Morfa, Oldcastle and Newcastle.

Bridgend recovered quickly from the decline of traditional industries, particularly coal-mining due to other alternative forms of employment.

However, there have been significant economic blows to Bridgend including Sony's closure of the Bridgend plant and downsizing of the Pencoed plant.

Bridgend has a lack of high-wage service jobs; however the retail sector in particular provides a large proportion of employment in the town and borough.

Bridgend is the western terminus of the Vale of Glamorgan Line which reopened to passenger traffic in 2005.

Bridgend is on the National Cycle Route and there are off-road spurs from the Celtic Trail to the town centre and a community route in the Ogmore Valley.

Bridgend town has three comprehensive schools: Archbishop McGrath Catholic Comprehensive, Brynteg Comprehensive and Bryntirion Comprehensive.

Bridgend College is the town's further education and higher education provider; it primarily offers vocational courses and GCSEs.

Bridgend College has its own residence for students aged 16+ with learning difficulties and physical disabilities who come to the college from all over Wales.

In December 2008, Bridgend Council introduced its first alcohol-free zone, restricting the consumption of alcohol to pubs, clubs, and other licensed premises in the town centre to help address alcohol-related issues.

Since July 2007, the streets of Bridgend are patrolled on Friday and Saturday evenings by Street Pastors, an inter-denominational church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets.

Bridgend County hosted the Urdd Gobaith Cymru National Eisteddfod in 2017.

Pontypridd RFC had sold their share of the region early on due to their own financial difficulties, with the remaining share which had been owned by Bridgend RFC, being sold off to the Welsh Rugby Union at the end of the season.

Bridgend became part of this region following the demise of the Celtic Warriors.

Bridgend was home to Super League rugby league team the Crusaders, who were based at the Brewery Field, home of rugby union club, Bridgend RFC.