Porthcawl is a holiday resort in South Wales and is home to one of the largest caravan and camping parks in Europe, Trecco Bay. It has an extensive promenade and several beaches, two of which are Blue Flag 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 northwest 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.
There are many hotels and guest houses as well as a funfair called Coney Beach . Four rocky points line the shore: Hutchwns Point, Porthcawl Point (on which a lighthouse is situated), Rhych Point and Newton Point.
Porthcawl, like many UK resorts has suffered
a decline in its holiday trade over recent years, especially since most of the
South Wales Valleys coal pits have closed. A major feature of the summer used
to be the miners fortnight when the miners would take their annual break in large
numbers.
Local attractions
Tourist attractions in the area include sandy beaches, a Grand Pavilion, a fun fair named Coney Beach (modeled after Coney Island in New York City), and 3 golf courses.
Porthcawl Promenade
Built in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee, Porthcawl's promenade 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. The promenade was restored in 1996. Many cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels are located along the promenade which offers spectacular views across the Bristol Channel.
The Promenade Princess Road Train runs along the promenade from Rest Bay to Coney Beach throughout the summer.
The Grand Pavilion, built at a cost of £25,000 in 1932, is the venue for popular shows, including the annual pantomime. The singer, actor, and civil rights activist Paul Robeson once performed 'live' at the Pavilion via a transatlantic telephone link.
Controversial luxury apartments 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, purpose built in 1995 is situated near the harbour and 'Cosy Corner' 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 and Wales' oldest maritime warehouse, and currently holds the PADS Skate Boarding Centre. The building has been identified as a potentially important facility as part of the Porthcawl Regeneration Strategy.[2]
At the end of Porthcawl Pier stands a lighthouse built around 140 years ago. The Pier and surrounding area are popular spots for sea fishing.
The historic ships the PS Waverley, the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world, and the MV Balmoral sail from this area during the summer months.
Beaches
Newton Beach to the east of Porthcawl is a long sandy and rocky beach, backed by the Newton Burrows and Merthyr Mawr sand dunes, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, and ending at the mouth of the River Ogmore at Ogmore-by-Sea. Newton Beach and the sand dunes are popular with walkers and horse riders. The beach is popular with windsurfers, jet skiers and power boat users.
Trecco Bay is a large, sandy and rocky Blue Flag beach.[4] Although the Trecco Bay holiday park is sitauated alongside the beach it is non commercialised and unspoilt.
Sandy Bay, with the area in front of the Fairground known as Coney Beach, is a large sheltered and sandy beach. The beach has lifeguard cover from May - September and the water quality is rated as excellent. Sandy Bay is popular with families who can enjoy donkey and pony rides on the beach, alongside other facilities such as trampolines and bouncy castles and the adjacent Coney Beach Fun fair. Sandy Bay is also popular with surfers. Sandy Bay hosts the ever popular Christmas morning swim where hundreds of swimmers, many in fancy dress, have braved the waters on Christmas day since 1965, drawing in thousands of spectators and raising thousands of pounds for local charities.
Seafront Beach, also known as Town Beach, is a rocky beach in the centre of Porthcawl which was partly tarmaced over in the 1980s to repair sea defence. Swimming is prohibited at the beach and conditions are only suitable for experienced surfers due to the tides and sharp rocks.
Rest Bay is a sandy Blue Flag beach situated in the west of Porthcawl. It is a very popular for water sports, especially surfing. A 'surf cam' shows live conditions from Rest Bay 24 hours a day. A surfing acamedy offers lessons and board hire during the summer months. A lifeguard station overlooks the beach.
Pink Bay is a quiet beach, 15 minutes walk from Rest Bay, that 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 Pink Bay.
Sker Beach is the most westerly beach in Porthcawl, and is accessible only by walking from Rest Bay or Kenfig National Nature Reserve. Its remote location makes it one of the quiter beaches in Porthcawl. A plaque, in memory of the 47 lives lost on the S.S.Santampa, capsized and wrecked in heavy seas, and the Mumbles RNLI Life Boat which attempted rescue on April 23, 1947 is visible at low tide. At very low tides wreckage is still being found.
Newton Village
Newton village 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 overlook the green. To the south of the church lies St John's well, the water from which is reputed to have healing properties.
Festivals
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 best float. The procession makes its way to the carnival field where there are stalls, a fun fair and live acts to be enjoyed.
The Porthcawl Jazz Festival is held annually in April hosting a variety of 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, and an outdoor market. The festival ends with the legendary Surfers Ball.
The Elvis Festival runs every September, attracts Elvis tribute artists and devotees from across the world, and is the biggest gathering of Elvis fans in Europe. The Elvis Festival was selected as one of the UK's top twenty summer festivals by The Times in 2008.
Other festivals include the Nottage Beer Festival, and the Porthcawl Sea Festival.
Sports
Porthcawl is one of the top locations in Wales for surfing and competitions are held at Rest Bay. It also has an extensive golf course which attracts players from around the world. Porthcawl is also home to rugby union team Porthcawl RFC and rugby league side Bridgend Blue Bulls.
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 28th March 2008. A 17 acre 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/apartments, a new promenade, town square and car parking.
The scheme forms part of the 7 Bays Project for Porthcawl and the first phase in the regeneration of the whole waterfront. The regeneration project is one of the largest of its kind in the country.
Getting there
* Road - M4 motorway junction 37, left at Pyle roundabout, then follow A4229 south
direct to Porthcawl
* Rail - nearest station is Pyle, although Bridgend station
is the nearest mainline station, with direct trains from Paddington.
* Sea
- crossings from Ireland to: Swansea, Pembroke Dock and Fishguard
* Air -
Cardiff International Airport
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