Bridgend Voyage Tips and guide

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Bridgend (Welsh: Penybont ar Ogwr) is a town in Glamorgan, South Wales. It is the principal town of the County Borough of Bridgend and has a population of around 40,000 people.

Bridgend has developed from a small, vibrant market town to a major regional industrial and service centre. Bridgend's position roughly equidistant between Cardiff and Swansea has made it a popular dormitory settlement for commuters to both cities.

Bridgend was perhaps most famously home to a Ford Motor Company engine plant (now closed), that was one of the area's biggest employers, but it also used to have a significant presence by Japanese electronics giant Sony.

Cardiff Airport (CWL ^IATA) is around 15 mi (24 km) from Bridgend, served by a small number of domestic and international routes, including from Amsterdam, Belfast, Dublin and Edinburgh. Bus route 905 connects the terminal with Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station, with direct Transport for Wales trains to Bridgend. First Cymru bus routes 304 then 303 (via Llantwit Major) connect Cardiff Airport with Bridgend.

Bristol Airport (BRS ^IATA) is a larger international airport, well over an hour from Bridgend. Using public transport, Bristol Airport Flyer A1 connects the terminal with Bristol City Centre, where direct National Express coaches run to Bridgend Designer Outlet (McArthurGlen) at Sarn. FlixBus route UK910 connects Bristol Airport with Bridgend Designer Outlet at Sarn.

London Heathrow Airport (CWL ^IATA) is around 150 miles east of Bridgend, and is the UK's largest airport with flights from destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. By road, both London Heathrow Airport and Bridgend are off the M4 motorway. National Express and FlixBus run direct coaches between Heathrow and Bridgend Designer Outlet at Sarn. Direct coaches also link London Gatwick Airport (LGW ^IATA) with Bridgend Designer Outlet.

51.506944-3.5751 Bridgend railway station is the town's principal railway station. Services include:

• regular stopping and fast services from Cardiff Central, Carmarthen, Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot Parkway operated by both Transport for Wales (TfW) and Great Western Railway (GWR)
• hourly services from London Paddington (for ), Reading, Swindon, Bristol Parkway and Newport, operated by GWR
• regular stopping services from Manchester Piccadilly, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Hereford, Abergavenny and West Wales, operated by TfW
• regular local services from Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester, Cardiff Queen Street, Barry, Llantwit Major, Pyle and Maesteg, operated by TfW

Other stations in Bridgend are on the line between the town and Maesteg, served by Transport for Wales (TfW) trains:

• 51.5199-3.58032 Wildmill - around 15 minutes' walk from Princess of Wales Hospital
• 51.5388-3.58983 Sarn - north of Bridgend, for Sarn village and Aberkenfig

Local buses depart from Bridgend Bus Station in the town centre and Bridgend Designer Outlet (McArthurGlen), which is to the north of the town.

Long-distance coaches depart from Bridgend Designer Outlet (McArtherGlen), sometimes known as Derwen, which is to the north of the town.

From Cardiff, FirstCymru route X2 connects the city centre to Bridgend town centre, via Cowbridge. TrawsCymru route T1C is a limited service between the city centre, Cardiff Bay and Bridgend, via Pencoed.

From Swansea, FirstCymru route X1 connects the city centre to Bridgend town centre, via Port Talbot. TrawsCymru route T1C is a limited service between M4 Junction 44 (Bowen Arms) and Bridgend, also from Aberystwyth, Carmarthen and Port Talbot.

Routes from coastal destinations include X2 from Porthcawl into Bridgend town centre, and route 63 from Porthcawl to Bridgend Designer Outlet via Pyle. Route 303 connects Llantwit Major with Bridgend, via Southerndown, Ogmore-by-Sea and Ewenny.

From The Valleys, FirstCymru 64 and Adventure Travel 65 (via Bridgend Designer Outlet) run from Talbot Green into Bridgend town centre. Stagecoach route 172 carries passengers between Aberdare and Bridgend via Tonypandy, Tonyrefail and Bridgend Designer Outlet. Route 404 connects Pontypridd and Bridgend town centre via Talbot Green and Pencoed.

FlixBus and National Express operate coaches to Bridgend Designer Outlet from London Victoria Coach Station, London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, Birmingham, Bristol, Bristol Airport, Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli.

Bridgend lies south of the , near junctions:

• at Pencoed - for the town centre, Brackla and Bridgend Industrial Estate
• at Sarn - for Bridgend Designer Outlet (McArthurGlen), the town centre, Litchard and the Princess of Wales Hospital, and nearby Bryncethin. Also for Welcome Break Sarn Park Services
• () at Pyle - for Laleston and Newcastle, and nearby Porthcawl

The motorway is a direct link from London, London Heathrow Airport, Windsor, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea.

The bypasses Bridgend to the south, between Cowbridge and Pyle. From Porthcawl, use then .

Other routes into the town centre include:

• from Pontypridd, Talbot Green and Pencoed
• from the Brecon Beacons, Treorchy and Ogmore Vale, over The Bwlch, with views across the Rhondda and Ogmore valleys
• from Maesteg

Bridgend has a compact town centre and can easily be walked around in 15 minutes. The town centre is pedestrianised and between 10AM and 6PM is vehicle free.

There are numerous public footpaths linking to areas in and around Bridgend like Merthyr Mawr, Ogmore, Penyfai and Coychurch.

Bridgend is linked to the National Cycle Network (Celtic Trail) by a signposted, mostly segregated cycle lane from the town centre (near the Brewery Field) to Tondu.

There is also a segregated cycle path running east-west from the suburb of Brackla to the village of Laleston with a connection to the Bryntirion area of town.

The vast bulk of the roads in Bridgend are safe to cycle on, with extra care required at the larger roundabouts.

There are several taxi companies serving Bridgend, including:

• Allways Taxis, ☏ +44 1656 652210. 
• Dragon Taxis, ☏ +44 1656 655766. 
• Village Cars, ☏ +44 1656 722161. 
• Direct Cars, ☏ +44 1656 738000. (updated Jan 2021)
• Jackson Cabs, ☏ +44 1656650650. (updated May 2022)

• The Castles of Bridgend: dating back to the Norman conquest of South Wales (12th century), these three castles were built to provide a "defensive triangle".
  • 51.508889-3.5830561 Newcastle Castle. Dramatically positioned on the hill overlooking the town centre, accessible via a set of stairs on Tondu Road opposite the Brewery Field. Entrance is free. The area around Newcastle is a conservation area that includes period properties and various other listed buildings of interest including St Illtuds Church.  
  • 51.521944-3.5530562 Coity Castle. In the village of Coity about 2 miles to the north east of the town. Free entry.  
• 51.5068-3.580363 The Old Bridge. The bridge from Bridgend got its name. Not as spectacular as the original bridge but an important and iconic local landmark.  
• 51.4845-3.610064 Merthyr Mawr. An idyllic village with authentic, traditional thatched roofs  
• 51.4718-3.64135 Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes. This is a large network of dunes, among the largest in Europe. This area was used to film the movie Lawrence of Arabia. It's also well used for cross-country running, wildlife spotting and even live action role-play! There is a charge to use the car park.  
• 51.5021-3.58436 Newbridge Fields. A large, maintained open space in the centre of Bridgend and is popular with dog-walkers and anglers. 

• Football: Penybont FC play soccer in the Cymru Premier League. That's the top tier within Wales, but mostly amateur and on a par with England's fifth tier National League. Their home ground is Bryntirion Park northwest side of town.
• Rugby Union: Bridgend Ravens play in the Welsh Premiership, the amateur game's top tier. They play at Brewery Field just north of the bus and railway stations.
• Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel & Golf Course. About 3 miles east of Bridgend, in the grounds of a Victorian mansion turned hotel. Parkland course. 18 holes. 
• St Mary's Hotel & Golf Club. A championship-standard course located near M4 Junction 35 near Pencoed, complete with a hotel. Parkland course. 18 and 9 hole courses. 
• Bridgend Golf Club. Just off the A48 road to south of the town. Includes a driving range. Parkland course. 9 holes. 
• Bridgend Recreation Centre. near the town centre has timetabled public swimming sessions between noon-3:45PM and approximately 6-9PM on weekdays with extended sessions at weekends. It costs around £3.50 for casual swimming. The Recreation Centre also has a fully equipped gym and sports hall. Ask staff for details. 
• Darren Fawr Mountain Trails Garw Valley. Mountain biking. 

• Odeon Cinema. A 9-screen cinema in the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Village. (updated Mar 2015)
• Bryngarw Country Park. A 113-acre country park located at Brynmenyn, around 5 miles from Bridgend town centre. Various outdoor events take place during the year, especially the summer. The park includes various woodlands and grasslands, and a Japanese garden. (updated Mar 2015)

• Bridgend Festivals. Several themed festivals take place every few months in the pedestrianised area of Bridgend town centre. They've included a Celtic Music Festival, French Market, Mardi Gras, Christmas Market and Street Running/Fun Run. 
• Bridgend County Show. An annual summer (June or July) agricultural and animal show that takes place at Pencoed College grounds about 4 miles from Bridgend. 
• Glynogwr Agricultural Show. In August. 

• 51.5325-3.577591 McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Bridgend. A factory outlet store 2 miles north of the town centre. There are over 90 stores selling designer brands at discount prices.  
• 51.505429-3.5776232 The Rhiw Centre, Nolton St, CF31 3BL, ☏ +44 1656 658704. The main shopping centre in Bridgend town centre and contains Bridgend Market. It's home to various high-street chain shops. 
• Brackla Street Shopping Centre. The second main shopping centre in the town focusing on value retailers and home to larger stores such as Argos and Peacocks. (updated Dec 2017)
• Adare Street. The main open-air shopping street in the centre of town; it houses most of the main high-street chain stores and banks. 
• 51.506966-3.5801273 Siop yr Hen Bont, 2 Old Bridge, CF31 1JH. Near the Old Bridge is a shop specialising in Welsh literature, gifts and presents. (updated Mar 2015)

Cardiff and Swansea are home to the bigger brand names/department stores.

There are no distinctly "upmarket" restaurants in the town, and you can expect to pay between £15-30 for a three-course meal.

• An Khang, 2-4 Park Street, ☏ +44 1656 661222. Vietnamese. 
• Natraj Tandoori, 16 Wyndham Street, ☏ +44 1656 667853. Tandoori/Indian. 
• Old Cottage Bistro, Queen Street, ☏ +44 1656 766839. Traditional homemade. 
• The Old House 1147, Llangynwyd, Maesteg, CF34 9SB, ☏ +44 1656 336033, [email protected]. Traditional/international. 
• Poco Poco, 14 Wyndham Street, ☏ +44 1656 667999. Tapas Bar/Mediterranean. 
• 51.506538-3.5796541 Zia Nina, 28 Dunraven Place, ☏ +44 1656 660045. Italian. 

Most takeaways are clustered around Wyndham Street and Nolton Street in the town centre.

Cheese and Chips seems to be something of a local post-alcohol delicacy.

• Olympic Kebab House, 100 Nolton St, ☏ +44 1656 669366. A cheesy chips eatery. 

• Bauhaus Coffee Shop, 9 Wyndham Street, ☏ +44 1656 667333. Independent coffee shop. 
• Cosy Cafe, 18 Derwen Road, ☏ +44 1656 665449. Traditional. 
• Cup & Saucer, 14 Market Street, ☏ +44 1656 647285. Traditional. 
• Il Panino, 1 Market Street, ☏ +44 1656 766618. Italian cafe. 
• Ty Coffi, 1 Market Street, ☏ +44 1656 656415. Traditional. 

• Domino's Pizza, Tremains Road. 
• Domino's Pizza, Quarella Road. 
• Harvester's (The Derwen). 
• Subway, Caroline Street. 
• Toby Carvery, South Road. 

McArthur Glen Designer Outlet has a food court home to McDonald's, Starbucks, Harry Ramsdens, Pizza Hut, KFC, Sidoli's Ice Cream and Fat Jacket's.

There is a second McDonald's and a second KFC at Bridgend Retail Park to the south of the town.

Vegetarian food is popular in the town centre and the shopping outlets. Veganism is rarer but not absent. Your best bet would be the Bridgend town centre itself.

Bridgend town centre is an alcohol exclusion zone meaning alcohol drinking is restricted to pubs, clubs and other licensed premises. Police have the power to confiscate alcohol from and issue fines to persons drinking alcohol outside the designated areas.

• Angel Inn, Park Street. 
• Coity Castle, Morfa Street. 
• Jaggers Toll House, Derwen Road. Live music. 
• Old Castle Inn, Nolton Street. 
• O'Neills, Nolton Street. Irish pub. 
• Phoenix, Wyndham Street. Converted church. 
• Princess of Wales, Market Street. 
• Red Dragon, Litchard Hill. Family friendly gastro-pub. 
• Tair Pluen, Quarella Road. Sports pub. 
• The Railway, Derwen Road. 
• Riverside Tavern, Brewery Lane. 
• The Roof, Market Street. Pub and nightclub. 
• Three Horse Shoes, Queen Street. 
• Ty-Risha Inn, Penycae. 
• Wyndham Arms, Dunraven Place. Wetherspoons chain pub. 

• Cody's, Derwen Road. 
• Hobos, Queen Street. Live music, especially rock/alternative. 
• Lava Ignite, Derwen Road. 
• Tom's Bar, Market Street. Live music. 

• 51.505716-3.6226471 Great House Hotel & Leicester Restaurant, High Street, Laleston, ☏ +44 1656 657644, [email protected]. Hotel with 12 letting rooms. 

There are numerous bed and breakfasts/guest houses scattered around the town.

• 51.506634-3.5792892 The Wyndham Arms, Dunraven Place. A Wetherspoons lodge in the heart of the town centre. Rooms cost £40-45 a night.. 

• 51.531817-3.5724773 Premier Inn, The Derwen (M4 junctions 36), ☏ +44 871 527 8146. 
• 51.513914-3.4943064 Premier Inn, Pencoed (M4 junctions 35), ☏ +44 871 527 8144. 
• 51.525406-3.6094785 Court Coleman Manor, Pen-y-Fai, ☏ +44 1656 720212. A Georgian-era manor about 2 miles to the north west of Bridgend. Rooms rates vary greatly from £49 per night for a single room to £160 for a "themed" room. It also has a restaurant specialising in Indian cuisine. 
• 51.492387-3.576976 Best Western Heronston Hotel, Ewenny Road. This is a three-star hotel in the south of the town with a gym and swimming pool £80-95 per night. 
• 51.514896-3.5240047 Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel, Coychurch, ☏ +44 1656 860 621. a Victorian manor house in a woodland to the east of Bridgend overlooking a valley near the village of Coychurch. It is home to its own 18-hole golf course. From £75 per night. 

Camping & caravan

• 51.578376-3.4807458 Our Welsh Caravan & Camping, Hendre Ifan Goch Farm, Glynogwr, Blackmill, ☏ +44 7800 945558. A peaceful countryside site in Blackmill Bridgend. 

Bridgend is a relatively safe town by Welsh and UK standards. Care should be taken when in the town centre at night as alcohol related violence is a fairly common sight. Pickpockets have been known to target shoppers, especially the elderly in Bridgend town centre.

Bridgend has come under the spotlight of the media due to drama film about a cluster of suicides among young adults in the area between 1996 and 2010. The vast bulk of suicides took place not in the town, but in the county which also shares the name Bridgend and has a population of over 130,000. Although the number of suicides was high, and unusual, the figures didn't vary wildly from the average for an area this size. Many in the town felt that Bridgend had been misrepresented and that media outlets were exacerbating the situation. It would be rude to bring up the suicides in casual conversation as an outsider.

Glamorgan Heritage Coast consists of the coastline stretching from Porthcawl to Aberthaw(Gileston) in the Vale of Glamorgan. It includes some spectacular cliff faces, sheltered beaches and a collection of small villages. There is a coastal footpath following the coast. The Glamorgan Heritage Coast Centre is in Southerndown, around 7 miles from Bridgend.

• Porthcawl
• Southerndown and Ogmore Castle
• Cowbridge
• Afan Forest Park. The network of mountain trails is considered to be among the best in Western Europe. The park is in the Afan Valley around 12 miles north of Bridgend and 5 miles north of Maesteg. Many of the trails are described as being only suitable for experienced or expert mountain bikers.
• Maesteg
• Llangynwyd Historic Village

Routes through Bridgend

Swansea ← Port Talbot ←	W  E	→ Cardiff → Bristol
Follows until Pont Abraham ←	W  E	→ Cowbridge → Cardiff