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Basking in the summer sunshine on the 'Golden Coast' is Porthcawl, boasting some of the cleanest beaches in South Wales.
Rest Bay has been awarded the coveted European Blue Flag plus a Tidy Britain Seaside Award and is a surfer's paradise. Not
too far away are numerous golf clubs.
During the summer months the pleasure steamers leave Porthcawl’s harbour for cruises
along the Bristol Channel, and over to Lundy Island.
Take a personal sea-fishing trip or learn scuba diving with trained instructors. Sign on for surf lessons with Porthcawl’s
own Surfing Academy. Visit the indoor skateboarding centre right on the harbour or try sand kiting with the largest kite centre
in Britain. Play Golf or try your hand at Go-Karting, or maybe a leisurely cycle ride along the coast paths?
Only a few minutes north of Porthcawl is the Kenfig National Nature Reserve - one of the most impressive conservation sites
in Britain.
Nearby Newton village has the historic Norman church reputed to be founded by one of the Knights of St. John. St. John’s
well on the green is reputed to have healing waters, while the well at Nottage village is closely associated with the patron
Saint of Wales - in fact it bears his name.
There are dozens of quality hotels and guesthouses in the resort as well as top quality shows at the Grand Pavilion on
the seafront and events throughout the summer including the annual Porthcawl Carnival and Sea Festival, or the Beer Festival
at Newton, the annual Jazz weekend and Wales’ only Celtic Festival of music and dance.
John Street
Built on 30acres of rough land called ‘Picketts Lease’, John Street was built by the Brogden family. It was
this family who gave the local authority 100 feet of frontage to contruct a police station in 1881. The public conveniences
next door to this were built on a cabbage patch! In 1883, the other side of the street was begun, with construction of a ‘coffee
palace’ which eventually became the ‘Porthcawl Hotel’ Built in 1884, it was the first of three large hotels
built in the resort before the end of the century.
| Old John Street |
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| John Street today, |
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| showing the Bandstand |
| The old Police Station in John Street, |
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| now home to the Tourist Information Centre and Porthcawl Museum |
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The Old Police Station
Situated in John Street, this listed building was a working Police Station from 1881 to its closure in 1974, and the original
cells are still in use, albeit for storage, while the original Charge Room now houses the local Heritage Coast Tourist InformationCentre.
The Building also houses the town Museum, tracing in fascinating detail the social history of the area, as well as a collection
of war momentos of the 49th Recognisance Regiment. On show also is a continually changing collection of purchasable works
by Porthcawl Art Society.
Lloyds Bank
Originally the Whites Hotel which was described as a CommercialFamily Temperance Hotel.
Spar Shop and Post Office
This was originally the Coliseum cinema opened in 1912 with local authority offices situated on the first floor. During
the Second World War, ration cards were issued from here and the results of local elections were announced from the balcony
over the present shop door.
Boots the Chemist
This site has a varied history. Check the corner of the building, on the upper level and you will see the original Home
Stores sign.
Knights Arms Square
The public house of the same name was built some time before 1830. The area shares a mixture of some of the oldest buildings
in the town and some of the newest.
Pilots Row
The site now occupied by the Pier Hotel was originally Pilots Row, a series of five houses built by the Tramroad company
in 1827.
Cosy Corner
In 1922 this area housed a theatre which later converted to a cinema showing Silent films. It then became a roller skating
rink before it became a ballroom. During the Second World War it was the headquarters for RAF rescue launches used to patrol
the Bristol Channel.
Jennings Building
On the south-eastern wall of the Jennings Saw Mill building, you will see a brass plug marking the highest recorded tide
of 42 feet. The oldest dockside warehouse in South Wales.
Customs House
On the slipway, near the RNLI is a round building that served as a Custom House. Unused now, it has been severely weathered
over the years.
The Harbour
The 19th century harbour was once the site of immense activity until bigger and deeper harbours were built at Barry
and Port Talbot.
The Lighthouse
Right at the very end of the breakwater is the Lighthouse built around 140 years ago to provide important
navigational aid for the Swansea lifeboat and vessels using the Bristol Channel.
Coney Beach Pleasure Park
No seaside resort is complete without a pleasure park and Porthcawl has a terrific one!
A great selection of rides and amusements including the 'Megablitz' rollercoaster are available to try, along with slot machines,
candy floss, fish and chips, hot do-nuts, cafes, sweet stalls, bars, cabaret evenings, and limitless enjoyment!
Station Hill As it’s name suggests, there was once a railway station at the top of the hill with trains for
Bridgend and elsewhere stopping there in the summer seasons bringing visitors for their main holiday. On the right hand side
of Station Hill is Smith’s Television Shop. In 1831, the site was occupied by a steam mill. Nearby is a small cottage,
which in 1896 was rented as a small board room and offices for the first Porthcawl Urban District Council.
Philadelphia Road
Under the subway from Station Hill and along slightly is Philadelphia Road. This was one of the
earliest streets built in the town other than those around the dock area. One of the plots of land along here was purchased
in 1847 for the princely sum of £30!
Noddfa Chapel
Built at a total cost of £5000 in 1939, despite the outbreak of World War II in August 1940.
All Saints Church
Between 1892 and 1914, there was an iron church standing on the site of the present All Saints
Church. When the present church was built in the style of 15th century English Gothic, using Forest of Dean stone, the original
iron building was sold and re-erected in Maesteg and used as a Mission Church.
The Promenade
The Brogden family visualised Porthcawl as a fashionable seaside resort as well as a thriving port
for the export of coal. It is easy to see Brogden’s image as you stand at the top of John Street and view the broad
sweep of the frontage. You might even be able to imagine his workmen changing an empty expanse into a commercial enterprise.
Modern developments in coastal defences have covered most of his original sea wall, but from the lower platform, a portion
of the original is still visible.
The Seabank Hotel
The Seabank stands on the site of a house built in 1867 by George Dement. By 1908 the house belonged
to the Brogden family and was their only sole surviving asset, already mortgaged beyond their means.
Esplanade Hotel
Now demolished and replaced by luxury apartments, the hotel was designed so that it could be converted
into houses, should it fail.
| The Esplanade Hotel has been replaced by |
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| Esplanade House |
| The Grand Pavilion |
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Grand Pavilion Every seaside resort has to have a traditional summer theatre, and if its on the promenade facing
the seas, that’s even better. Well Porthcawl’s Grand Pavilion is just that. Built at a cost of £25,000 in 1932,
you cannot fail to miss it, with its distinctive facade and unique features illuminated at night. Before it was built, the
site was just an expanse of sand that was occasionally occupied by a small fair or by picnic parties. The difference with
this theatre though, is that it is open all year and offers top class entertainment to suit all age groups and tastes. The
Pavilion offers shows all the year round, culminating in the ever-popular Christmas Pantomime. It also has an elegant Cafe
Bar for light snacks overlooking the sea front.
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