Porthcawl
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Porthcawl () is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
and
community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
in the Bridgend County Borough of
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. It is located on the south coast, west of
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
and south-east of
Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...
. Historically part of
Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...
and situated on a low
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
headland on the
South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
coast, overlooking the
Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel (, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan) and South West England (from Devon to North Somerset). It extends ...
, Porthcawl developed as a coal port during the 19th century, but its trade was soon taken over by more rapidly developing ports such as Barry. North-west of the town, in the dunes known as ''Kenfig Burrows'', lies the remains of Kenfig Castle.


Toponymy

is a common Welsh element meaning "harbour" and the ' here refers to " sea kale", which may have grown in profusion or even been collected here.


Holiday resort

Porthcawl is a holiday resort in South Wales and is home to a large static caravan park known as ''Trecco Bay'', which is owned and operated by Parkdean Resorts. It has an extensive
promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...
and several beaches: a tourist-oriented beach at Trecco Bay, at the east end of the town; a sandy beach at Rest Bay, which lies to the north-west of the town; and the quiet and sandy Pink Bay leading out towards Sker Point where a tarmac-covered car park serves a sandy beach. Trecco Bay and Rest Bay are
Blue Flag Beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a Not-for-profit organi ...
es. Porthcawl, like many British resorts, has suffered a decline in its holiday trade, especially since most of the South Wales Valleys coal pits closed. A major feature of the summer was the miners' fortnight, when large numbers of miners took their annual break.


Local attractions

Tourist attractions in the area include sandy beaches, a grand pavilion, a funfair named Coney Beach (modelled on Coney Island in New York), a museum, three golf courses and the site of the former black obelisk.


Porthcawl promenade

Built in 1887 to commemorate
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
's
Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali language, ...
, Porthcawl's
promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...
runs along the seafront from Lock's Common in the west to the harbour, before joining the Eastern Promenade and leading to Coney Beach and Griffin Park. It was restored in 1996. There are many cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels along the promenade, which offer views across the
Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel (, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan) and South West England (from Devon to North Somerset). It extends ...
. The Grand Pavilion, built at a cost of £25,000 in 1932, is the venue for shows, including the annual
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...
. The singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson once performed 'live' at the Pavilion via a transatlantic telephone link. Controversial luxury flats now dominate the seafront on the site previously occupied by the Esplanade Hotel, which dated back to the late 1880s. The Royal Society of Architects in Wales awarded 'Esplanade House' a Welsh Housing Design Award in 2006, but the architecture has proved unpopular with many local residents who have nicknamed it "the bottle bank".


Harbour Quarter

Porthcawl Lifeboat Station, built in 1995, is situated near the harbour. The station operates an Atlantic 85-class lifeboat and a D-class IB1 inflatable lifeboat. ''Cosy Corner'' is a park area, which over the years has housed a theatre, cinema, roller skating rink and ballroom. The Jennings Building, built in 1832, is a grade II
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
and Wales' oldest maritime warehouse. The building was identified as a potentially important facility as part of the ''Porthcawl Regeneration Strategy''; it houses three hospitality businesses. At the end of Porthcawl jetty stands a white
lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...
built in 1860, as a navigational aid. It was the last coal and gas-powered lighthouse in the United Kingdom. It switched to being powered by North Sea gas in 1974, before becoming powered by electricity in 1997. The jetty and surrounding area are popular spots for sea fishing. The historic ships the PS Waverley, the last seagoing
paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, whereby the first uses were wh ...
in the world, and the MV Balmoral sail from this area during the summer months.


Governance

Prior to 1996, the town was divided into the Porthcawl East and Porthcawl West wards, electing a total of seven councillors to Ogwr Borough Council. Subsequent to the creation of
Bridgend County Borough Council Bridgend County Borough Council () is the governing body for Bridgend County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales. History Bridgend County Borough and its council came into effect from 1 April 1996, following the '' Local Government (W ...
and as a result of ''The County Borough of Bridgend (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1998'', the town was divided into five county wards corresponding to the town council wards: Newton, Nottage, Porthcawl East Central, Porthcawl West Central and Rest Bay. These elect a total of five county councillors. Porthcawl is represented by the following parliamentary constituencies: *
Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...
for the
Welsh Parliament The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English language, English and () in Welsh language, Welsh, is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its ro ...
*
Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...
for the
UK Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...
.


Education

There are six English medium schools in Porthcawl: four primary schools, one comprehensive school and one private school.


Porthcawl Comprehensive School

Porthcawl Comprehensive School, on the western side of the town, has 1,500 pupils (aged 11–18) and 80 teaching staff. Both
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
and
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
attended this school. As at 2011, it was the only school to have received a new Band 1 assessment in the Bridgend County from the Welsh Government.


St Clare's School

St Clare's School is a co-educational independent school, located in the village of Newton (an eastern part of Porthcawl), in Bridgend County Borough. The school provides preparatory, secondary and tertiary education leading to GCSE and A-level qualifications. Originally a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
girls' school, the school is now owned and operated by the Cognita Group.


Nottage Primary School

This is a state school which provides education for ages 3–11 and is participating in the Foundation Phase. It is a large
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
, with approximately 500 pupils, surrounded by extensive grounds. It has a conservation area and is in the process of building a pond. It has a large outdoor play area and a sensory garden. There is an outdoor classroom which is used for a range of activities.


West Park Primary School

This is a state school located in Nottage. The school was built and opened for teaching in 1971 and has since been extended to incorporate the growing needs of the surrounding area and community. The school has been awarded the ''Eco-schools Green Flag'' and the ''BECTA ICT excellence award''.


Porthcawl Primary School

This is a mixed state school for pupils between the ages of 3 and 11 years, which includes a Foundation Phase Area admitting pupils of nursery age.


Newton Primary School

This is a mixed state school with approximately 235 pupils.


Closed school


St John's School

St John's School was a co-educational independent school, located in the village of Newton. The school provided preparatory, secondary and tertiary education leading to GCSE qualifications. The school closed at the end of July 2014.


Musical establishments

The Porthcawl Male Voice Choir, or ''Côr Meibion Porthcawl'', is a male voice choir formed in 1980 with 17 members. The choir has 45 members. Each year, the choir performs with a celebrity guest; in 2011, this was Lesley Garrett.


Beaches

Porthcawl has seven beaches: * Newton Beach, on the eastern edge of Porthcawl, is a long sandy and rocky
beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...
, backed by the Newton Burrows and Merthyr Mawr sand dunes. It is a designated
Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
and ends at the mouth of the River Ogmore at Ogmore-by-Sea. * Trecco Bay is a large, sandy and rocky
Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a Not-for-profit organi ...
. Trecco Bay holiday park is situated alongside the beach. * Sandy Bay, with the area in front of the fairground known as ''Coney Beach'', is a large sheltered and sandy beach. * Seafront Beach, also known as ''Town Beach'', is a rocky beach in the centre of Porthcawl, which was partly tarmacked over in the 1980s to repair sea defences. * Rest Bay is a sandy
Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a Not-for-profit organi ...
situated in the west of Porthcawl. * Pink Bay has a steep pebble bank down onto a flat beach edged by a rocky shoreline. These rocks have a unique pink marbling effect, hence the name. * Sker Beach is the most westerly beach in Porthcawl and is accessible only by walking from Rest Bay or Kenfig National Nature Reserve. A plaque is visible at low tide, in memory of the 47 lives lost on the S.S. Samtampa, capsized and wrecked in heavy seas, and the
Mumbles Mumbles () is a headland sited on the western edge of Swansea Bay on the southern coast of Wales. Toponym Mumbles has been noted for its place names considered unusual, unusual place name. The headland is thought by some to have been named by ...
RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. Founded in 1824 ...
life boat which attempted rescue on 23 April 1947. Five rocky points line the Porthcawl shore; from east to west, these are: Newton Point, Rhych Point, Porthcawl Point, Hutchwns Point and Sker Point.


Scheduled monuments

There are three
scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
s in the Porthcawl Community area: * Hutchwns round barrow (, SS813776). This is the only partly-surviving mound of a
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
round barrow. It is sited near a public park and a modern standing stone has been placed alongside it. * Dan-y-Graig
Roman villa A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house in the territory of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, sometimes reaching extravagant proportions. Nevertheless, the term "Roman villa" generally covers buildings with the common ...
(, SS840780). The villa, a rare feature in Wales, dates mainly to 3rd and 4th centuries and is in Newton. The site includes agricultural buildings and was partly excavated in 1985–86. * Nottage Court inscribed stone (, SS820781). A Roman milestone, with three Latin inscriptions and possible Ogham. Its location is in a garden at Nottage Court; it was moved there in the 19th century, from SS763890, now Port Talbot Docks.


Newton village

Newton dates from the 12th century. St. John's Church, founded by the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem 800 years ago and originally built as a fortress, overlooks the village green. The ''Jolly Sailor'' pub, the oldest in Porthcawl, and the ''Ancient Briton'' pub also overlooks the green. To the south of the church lies St John's Well, the water from which is reputed to have healing properties. Newton village homed St John's School, an independent day school established in 1921, which closed in c2016. It is also home to St Clare's School, which is also an independent day school and was established in 1938 by the ''Poor Clares'' order of nuns.


Festivals

The following festivals operate in the town: *''Porthcawl Town Carnival'' takes place annually in July. A procession of themed floats and acts make their way around the town, collecting money for charity and competing for the prize of the best float. The procession makes its way to the carnival field where there are stalls, a fun fair and live acts. * The ''Porthcawl Jazz and Blues Festival'' is held annually in April hosting musical performances, workshops and family events over a weekend. * ''Surf Cult'' runs for a week in September. Events include surf contests, music, art, fashion and film, with an outdoor market. The festival ends with the Surfers' Ball. * The ''Elvis Festival'' runs every September, attracting
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
tribute artists and devotees from across the world. It is recognised as the biggest gathering of Elvis fans in Europe and maybe in the world. The Elvis Festival was selected as one of the UK's top twenty summer festivals by ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' in 2008.


Sport

Porthcawl is one of the top locations in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
for
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
, with both national and regional competitions held at Rest Bay. Other alternative sports, such as
skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...
and rollerblading, are also popular with the former PADS skate park by the Harbour and the new bowl park off . There are three
golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
s to the north of the town including Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, which attracts players from around the world. Porthcawl is home also home to football side Porthcawl Town Athletic F.C., which boasts 1st, reserve and 3rd teams, as well as numerous junior teams.
Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
also has a rich heritage in the area with Porthcawl RFC. The town has lifeguard clubs that train the lifeguards that guard Coney Beach and Trecco Bay, as well as Rest Bay and Sker beaches. Porthcawl hosts a free weekly Parkrun at 9am each Saturday. It starts on the Lower Promenade in front of the Grand Pavilion, heads out to Rest Bay and finishes near to the pier. The famous world championship
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
match between WBC world featherweight champion Howard Winstone and his challenger, Jose Legra, which Legra won by fifth round technical knockout, was held in Porthcawl on 24 July 1968.


Regeneration

Porthcawl waterfront is proposed for substantial regeneration as part of the ''7 Bays Project''. The Planning Guidance outlines proposals that will result in the comprehensive regeneration of Porthcawl's waterfront, stretching from Cosy Corner and the harbour in the south, to Trecco Bay in the east. The plan includes the construction of new sea defences, enabling regeneration of the area to take place, and also protecting more than 440 existing properties from flood risk. The first phase of Porthcawl's regeneration, ''Porthcawl Harbourside'', was launched on 28 March 2008. A site has been marketed to developers for a substantial mixed use scheme. The scheme is envisaged to include a new foodstore, extra retail space, leisure and community facilities, up to 450 houses/flats, a new promenade, town square and car parking.


Transport

The nearest railway station to Porthcawl is Pyle. Transport for Wales operates services to , , and . Porthcawl railway station once served the town, sited at the top of Station Hill, but was closed in 1963.
First Cymru First Cymru is an operator of bus services in South West Wales. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. With its headquarters previously in Swansea, it is now part of the First Wales and West region which also covers Bristol, Bath, Somerset, Bath and ...
and Stagecoach South Wales operate local bus routes, which include: * X2 to Cardiff Central via Bridgend, Cowbridge and West Cardiff * 172 to Aberdare, via Bridgend (Sundays only) * 63 to Bridgend, via Pyle. The A4229 road links the town to junction 37 of the
M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is the third longest motorway in the United Kingdom, running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh ele ...
. The nearest airport is
Cardiff Airport Cardiff Airport () is an airport in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. It is the only airport offering commercial passenger services and cargo services in Wales. The airport is owned by the Welsh Government, operating it at arm's length as a commercia ...
, away, which offers scheduled domestic and international flights.


Notable people

:''See :People from Porthcawl''


Air crash

On 11 February 2009, two RAF Grob Tutor training aircraft collided over the area, with one landing in Kenfig and the other landing in Margam. Two instructors and two teenage air cadets died in the incident.


References


Further reading

* Alun Morgan (1987), Porthcawl Newton and Nottage, a Concise Illustrated History, D Brown and Sons Ltd., Cowbridge.


External links


Official tourism guide to Porthcawl
* {{authority control Swansea Bay (region) Communities in Bridgend County Borough Coast of Bridgend County Borough Towns in Bridgend County Borough Seaside resorts in Wales Surfing locations in Wales Populated coastal places in Wales