Bridgend

By plane

Cardiff Airport (CWL) is some 15 miles (25 km) to the south east of the town. An hourly train service runs from nearby Rhoose to Bridgend and is served by a shuttle bus from the airport terminal. Buses also run to Cardiff where you can make a simple connection to Bridgend either by train or by bus.
Bristol Airport (BRS) which serves a greater number of destinations than Cardiff Airport is located a further 30–40 miles east.
You are most likely to fly into the United Kingdom at either Heathrow Airport (LHR) or Gatwick Airport (LGW), both located in and around London. In this case it is probably best to make a public transport connection to Wales at one of the major terminuses in London itself.

By train

There is one major train station in the town. Bridgend railway station is within a 3-minute walk of the town centre. A taxi rank and a bus stop are outside. The station is fully staffed and has ticket sale facilities, refreshments and toilets. Entry is controlled by ticket barriers so you will require a ticket to enter/exit the platforms.
The footbridge at Bridgend railway station is a listed building and hasn't been upgraded to the statutory requirements for travellers with disabilities. To access platform 2 for Cardiff and London bound trains, use the other footbridge on platform 1 which has lifts on either end
Bridgend is a scheduled stop on the GWR service from London Paddington to Swansea. This is an hourly service.
All other services are run by TFW . These services connect Bridgend to Cardiff, Barry, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Manchester, Birmingham and Western England. There is also an hourly service to the nearby town of Maesteg.
The other station in the town is Wildmill, an unstaffed station serving the districts in the north of the town. It is a scheduled stop on the hourly service between Maesteg and Cheltenham.

By car

Bridgend is best accessed by car from Junctions 35 and 36 of the M4 motorway running from London to Carmarthenshire.
There are numerous pay-and-display car parks in the town centre and free ample parking at the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet about 2 miles from the town centre at Junction 36 of the M4.

By bus

Bridgend has a 11-bay Bus Station located in the centre of town. Buses are primarily run by First Group but there are also services by Stagecoach and Veolia. These services mainly serve the towns and villages around Bridgend.
Some services of note however are:
X1 Bridgend-Swansea - running via Pyle and Port Talbot.
X2 Porthcawl-Cardiff - running from Porthcawl to Cardiff via Bridgend and Cowbridge.
224 Bridgend-Pontypridd- running via Pencoed, Llanharan and Talbot Green.
The pick up/drop off point for National Express long-distance services, is at the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet near the Odeon cinema. This is about 2 miles from the town centre, which can be easily reached by connecting local bus services.

By foot

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.

By cycle

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.

By taxi

There are several taxi companies serving Bridgend, including:

• Allways Taxis

  phone: +44 1656 652210

• Radio Cabs

  phone: +44 1656 655766

• Village Cars

  phone: +44 1656 722161

• 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".

• Newcastle CastleDramatically 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.

• Coity CastleIn the village of Coity about 2 miles to the north east of the town. Free entry.

The Old BridgeThe biridge from Bridgend got its name. Not as spectacular as the original bridge but an important and iconic local landmark.

Merthyr MawrAn idyllic village with authentic, traditional thatched roofs

Merthyr Mawr Sand DunesThis is a large network of dunes, among the largest in Europe. This area was used to film the movieLawrence 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.

Newbridge FieldsA large, maintained open space in the centre of Bridgend and is popular with dog-walkers and anglers.

Sport

• Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel & Golf CourseAbout 3 miles east of Bridgend, in the grounds of a Victorian mansion turned hotel. Parkland course. 18 holes.

• St Mary's Hotel & Golf ClubA championship-standard course located near M4 Junction 35 near Pencoed, complete with a hotel. Parkland course. 18 and 9 hole courses.

• Bridgend Golf ClubJust off the A48 road to south of the town. Includes a driving range. Parkland course. 9 holes.

• Bridgend Recreation Centrenear the town centre has timetabled public swimming sessions between 12PM-3:45PM and approximately 6PM-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 ValleyMountain biking.

Entertainment

• Odeon CinemaA 9-screen cinema in the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Village. Prices per film range from £6.30 to £7.45 for an adult and £4.30 to £5.10 for a child depending on the time of day.

• Bryngarw Country ParkA 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.

Events

• Bridgend FestivalsSeveral 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 ShowAn annual summer (June or July) agricultural and animal show that takes place at Pencoed College grounds about 4 miles from Bridgend.

• Glynogwr Agricultural ShowIn August.

• McArthur Glen Designer Outlet BridgendA factory outlet store 2 miles north of the town centre. There are over 90 stores selling designer brands at discount prices.

• The Rhiw Centre

  phone: +44 1656 658704
  address: Nolton St, CF31 3BL
  The main shopping centre in Bridgend town centre and contains Bridgend Market. It's home to various high-street chain shops.

• Brackla Street Shopping CentreThe second main shopping centre in the town focusing on value retailers and home to larger stores such as Argos and Peacocks.

• Adare StreetThe main open-air shopping street in the centre of town; it houses most of the main high-street chain stores and banks.

• Siop yr Hen Bont

  address: 2 Old Bridge, CF31 1JH
  Near the Old Bridge is a shop specialising in Welsh literature, gifts and presents.

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

Restaurants & bistros

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

  phone: +44 1656 661222
  address: 2-4 Park Street
  Vietnamese.

• Braseria El Prado

  phone: +44 1656 649972
  address: High Street, Laleston
  Spanish/Mediterranean.

• Natraj Tandoori

  phone: +44 1656 667853
  address: 16 Wyndham Street
  Tandoori/Indian.

• Old Cottage Bistro

  phone: +44 1656 766839
  address: Queen Street
  Traditional homemade.

• Poco Poco

  phone: +44 1656 667999
  address: 14 Wyndham Street
  Tapas Bar/Mediterranean.

• Zia Nina

  phone: +44 1656 660045
  address: 28 Dunraven Place
  Italian.

Takeaways

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

  phone: +44 1656 669366
  address: 100 Nolton St
  A cheesy chips eatery.

Cafes

• Bauhaus Coffee Shop

  phone: +44 1656 667333
  address: 9 Wyndham Street
  Independent coffee shop.

• Cosy Cafe

  phone: +44 1656 665449
  address: 18 Derwen Road
  Traditional.

• Cup & Saucer

  phone: +44 1656 647285
  address: 14 Market Street
  Traditional.

• Il Panino

  phone: +44 1656 766618
  address: 1 Market Street
  Italian cafe.

• Ty Coffi

  phone: +44 1656 656415
  address: 1 Market Street
  Traditional.

Chain restaurants

• Domino's Pizza

  address: Tremains Road

• Domino's Pizza

  address: Quarella Road

• Harvester's

• Subway

  address: Caroline Street

• Toby Carvery

  address: 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.

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.

Public houses

• Angel Inn

  address: Park Street

• Coity Castle

  address: Morfa Street

• Jaggers Toll House

  address: Derwen Road
  Live music.

• Old Castle Inn

  address: Nolton Street

• O'Neills

  address: Nolton Street
  Irish pub.

• Phoenix

  address: Wyndham Street
  Converted church.

• Princess of Wales

  address: Market Street

• Red Dragon

  address: Litchard Hill
  Family friendly gastro-pub.

• Tair Pluen

  address: Quarella Road
  Sports pub.

• The Railway

  address: Derwen Road

• Riverside Tavern

  address: Brewery Lane

• The Roof

  address: Market Street
  Pub and nightclub.

• Three Horse Shoes

  address: Queen Street

• Ty-Risha Inn

  address: Penycae

• Wyndham Arms

  address: Dunraven Place
  Wetherspoons chain pub.

Nightclubs

• Cody's

  address: Derwen Road

• Hobos

  address: Queen Street
  Live music, especially rock/alternative.

• Lava Ignite

  address: Derwen Road

• Tom's Bar

  address: Market Street
  Live music.

• Great House Hotel & Leicester Restaurant

  phone: +44 1656 657644
  address: High Street, Laleston
  Hotel with 12 letting rooms.

Budget

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

• The Wyndham Arms

  address: Dunraven Place
  A Wetherspoons lodge in the heart of the town centre.

Mid-range

• Premier Inn

  phone: +44 871 527 8146
  address: The Derwen

• Premier Inn

  phone: +44 871 527 8144
  address: Pencoed

• Court Coleman Manor

  phone: +44 1656 720212
  address: Pen-y-Fai
  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.

• Best Western Heronston Hotel

  address: Ewenny Road
  This is a three-star hotel located in the south of the town with a gym and swimming pool

• Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel

  phone: +44 1656 860 621
  address: Coychurch
  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.

Camping & caravan

• Our Welsh Caravan & Camping

  phone: +44 7800 945558
  address: Hendre Ifan Goch Farm, Glynogwr, Blackmill
  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 itself, 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.