Bridgend: Encyclopedia II - Bridgend - Castles and foundation

Bridgend - Castles and foundation

The town has three castles nearby: Coity Castle, in the village of Coity approximately two miles from the centre; Ogmore Castle on the outskirts of the village of Ogmore approximately seven miles from Bridgend; and Newcastle which is at the top of Newcastle Hill overlooking Bridgend. Together these three castles formed a defensive triangle from the coast to Coity.

Bridgend itself developed at a ford on the River Ogmore, which was on the main route between East and West Wales. Just north of the town, there is the confluence of three rivers, the Ogmore River, the Llynfi River and the Garw River. South of Bridgend the River Ewenny merges with the River Ogmore and flows into the Bristol Channel. In the fifteenth century, a stone bridge was built to permanently connect each side of the River Ogmore (later rebuilt). Originally this bridge had four arches but in the eighteenth century a massive flood washed two of them away. The rest of the bridge still stands and remains a focal point of the town.

Bridgend grew rapidly into an agricultural town important to many of the local farmers. Although still small by today's standards it became an important market town, a tag that remained with it until well into the twentieth century.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Castles and foundation", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki