Bridgend County Borough

Bridgend County Borough Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr (Welsh)
County borough
Left to right: Ogmore Valley to Nant-y-moel St Mary's Nolton Church, Bridgend Trecco Bay from Newton Point, Porthcawl
Coat of arms
Motto:  Onward With Confidence
Bridgend shown within Wales
Coordinates: 51°33′17″N03°35′29″W / 51.55472°N 3.59139°W / 51.55472; -3.59139
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Wales
Preserved county	Mid Glamorgan
Incorporated	1 April 1996
Administrative HQ	Bridgend
Government [1]
• Type	Principal council
• Body	Bridgend County Borough Council
•  Control	Labour
•  MPs	3 MPs Chris Bryant (L) Chris Elmore (L) Stephen Kinnock (L)
•  MSs	2 MSs Huw Irranca-Davies (L) Sarah Murphy (L) +4 regional members
Area [2]
• Total	97 sq mi (251 km2)
• Rank	17th
Population  (2022) [2]
• Total	146,136
• Rank	8th
• Density	1,510/sq mi (583/km2)
Welsh language (2021) [3]
• Speakers	9.2%
• Rank	19th
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 code	GB-BGE
GSS code	W06000013
Website	bridgend.gov.uk

Bridgend County Borough (Welsh : Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. The county borough was formed in 1996 and contains the town of Bridgend, after which it is named.

The county borough lies at the geographical heart of south Wales. Its land area of 110 mi² (285 km²) stretches 12 miles (20 km) from east to west and occupies the Llynfi, Garw and Ogmore valleys. The largest town is Bridgend, followed by Maesteg and Porthcawl. The county borough lies on the River Ogmore and its tributaries, although the Ewenny and Ogwr Fach rivers form the border with the Vale of Glamorgan for much of their length.

Composition

Bridgend County Borough was formed on 1 April 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. It includes all of the former Ogwr borough apart from the communities of Wick, St Brides Major and Ewenny, which went to Vale of Glamorgan. Bridgend County Borough is divided into 20 communities: Brackla, Bridgend, Cefn Cribwr, Coity Higher, Coychurch Higher, Coychurch Lower, Cornelly, Garw Valley, Laleston, Llangynwyd Lower, Llangynwyd Middle, Maesteg, Merthyr Mawr, Newcastle Higher, Ogmore Valley, Pencoed, Porthcawl, Pyle, St Bride's Minor and Ynysawdre. The communities of Brackla, Bridgend and Coychurch Lower make up the town of Bridgend.

Governance

The region is governed by Bridgend County Borough Council, a principal council which has its offices in Bridgend.

The three UK parliament constituencies covering Bridgend County Borough (in pink). 1 = Aberafan Maesteg, 2 = Bridgend and 3 = Rhondda and Ogmore.

Since 2024, Bridgend County Borough is within three UK Parliament constituencies – Aberafan Maesteg, Bridgend, and Rhondda and Ogmore, ^[4] and two Senedd constituencies – Bridgend and Ogmore. ^[5]

Schools

Main article: List of schools in Bridgend

Parks and green spaces

Bryngarw Country Park is the largest (113 acres) country park in the county borough. It offers many amenity based areas including an adventure play area, barbecue and picnic areas, car park, cafe, visitor centre and toilets; as well as a patchwork of woodland, grassland and freshwater habitats. Bryngarw Country Park is a Grade II listed Historic Park and Garden and has been designated a 'Green Flag' Park since 2010. The Oriental Garden in the park has been noted as a 'Visit Wales Sustainable Tourism, Historic Gardens Centre of Excellence' by the 'One Historic Garden, Centre of Excellence'. ^[6]

Kenfig National Nature Reserve with Glamorgan's largest natural lake, Kenfig Pool, is set on the edge of this area, with views from Sker beach across Swansea Bay to Gower. It is one of the finest wildlife habitats in Wales,^{[ citation needed ]} and one of the last remnants of a huge dune system that once stretched along the coast from the River Ogmore to the Gower peninsula. The reserve is home to unique wild orchids, as well as insects and wildlife. Kenfig is one of the most important sites in Britain for nature conservation. ^[7]

Parc Slip Nature Reserve is an environment of wetlands, woodlands and meadows at the Parc Slip Nature Park where there is a wealth of wildlife.^{[ citation needed ]} After a century of coal mining on the site, the Wildlife Trust began to manage the land for nature in the late 1980s. Varied habitats have since been created and the park supports an increasing diversity of wildlife. ^{[8] [9]}

Notable people

Main page: Category:People from Bridgend

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Bridgend: ^[10]

Military units

• The Royal Welsh: 30 August 2008
• 2 Company 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards: 11 May 2011 ^[11]

Demographics

Ethnicity

As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the county borough's ethnic groups are as follows: ^[12]

Ethnic group	Percentage
White	96.8%
Asian	1.5%
Mixed	1.2%
Black	0.3%
Other	0.3%

Religion

As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the county borough's religious make-up is as follows: ^[12]

Religion
No religion	52.3%
Christianity	40.4%
Islam	0.5%
Other	0.5%
Buddhism	0.3%
Hinduism	0.2%
Sikhism	0.1%
Judaism	0.1%
not stated	5.6%

See also

• List of places in Bridgend County Borough
• List of scheduled monuments in Bridgend County Borough

References

1. "Democracy and elections". Bridgend County Borough Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
2. "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics . 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
3. "How life has changed in Bridgend: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
4. "2023 Parliamentary Review - Revised Proposals | Boundary Commission for Wales". Boundary Commission for Wales . Retrieved 20 June 2023.
5. "Election Maps: Great Britain". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
6. "Welcome to Bryngarw House, Brynmenyn, Bridgend". Bryngarwhouse.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
7. "Country Parks". Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
8. "Country Parks". Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
9. "Country Parks". Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
10. "Freedom of the Borough - Bridgend County Borough Council". Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
11. "Hero soldiers honoured in freedom march of Bridgend". 11 May 2011.
12. UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Bridgend Local Authority (W06000013)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 12 July 2024.

External links

• Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations