Bridgend
Bridgend, in the county of
Glamorgan, is situated midway between the major cities of Cardiff and
Swansea. The Rivers Ogmore and Ewenny run through the town, the former
in particular now having improving runs of salmon and sea trout, or
sewin as they are known in Wales. The town has expanded greatly in the
last twenty years and now has a population of 40,000. The town,
featuring a twelfth century castle, was built
at a crossing point on the River Ogmore. The later bridge was severely
damaged by a massive flood in the eighteenth century but the bridge
remains at the heart of the town. The town grew as a market town but
the advent of the industrial revolution and the proximity of the south
Wales coalfields had a great impact on Bridgend. By the early twentieth
century, Bridgend was a busy market town serving the industrial valleys
to the north, with a population of 60,000 and good road and rail links,
which have since served the town well in attracting new employers, such
as Ford and Sony, since the closure of the coal pits during
the Thatcher era. The map below shows the
features of the town as it was around the middle
of last century. Click on a selected area of the map to see an
enlargement.
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