A Short History of Bridgend

There are suggestions that the area we now know as Bridgend was settled before Roman times, with several prehistoric burial mounds being discovered in the vicinity. The area was important to the Romans, being a natural low-level route west to the Roman fort and harbour at Neath, and part of the A48 close to Bridgend has a portion of Roman Road.

After the Norman invasion in 1066, groups of Norman Barons arrived in the area and created the Welsh Marches in South East Wales. The three castles in Bridgend, Newcastle Castle, Ogmore Castle and Coity Castle were built in Norman Times, and provided a ‘defensive triangle’ for the area.

Newcastle		Ogmore Castle		Coity Castle

The town of Bridgend itself developed at a ford on the River Ogmore. In the 15th century a stone bridge was built, originally with four arches, connecting permanently each side of the river. In the 18th century a flood washed two of the arches away, but the remainder of the bridge remains today, and is an integral part of the town. The town itself takes its name from the bridge – Bridgend (in Welsh Pen-y-Bont ar Ogwr).

Because of the important river position it held, on the main route between East and West Wales, Bridgend rapidly grew into an important agricultural town, vital to local farmers.

Coal, discovered in the South Wales Valleys north of Bridgend, had a further impact on the development of the town, and road and rail links between London and the rest of the country were improved to transport the coal. Bridgend was thriving by this time, with a population of 61,000 by the start of the 20th Century.

During the Second World War, Bridgend continued growing, with a large munitions factory, an overspill of the Royal arsenal in Greenwich, opening in the area. Employing 40,000 people, it had the largest workforce of any factory in the UK. Bridgend thrived post-war and in 1948 hosted the National Eisteddfod.

The 1970’s saw the period of biggest growth. The ‘missing’ section of the M4 was constructed around the town, and two multi-national corporations, Ford and Sony, set up factories in the newly developed industrial estate, providing jobs for many of those left unemployed by the decline in the Welsh coal industry.

Bridgend today is a bustling town, road links in and around the centre have been improved, and the pedestrianisation of the town centre, initially unpopular, has been used to advantage hosting continental markets, festivals, seasonal markets and other events throughout the year.