Kenfig

Kenfig Pool (Welsh: Pwll Cynffig) is a national nature reserve situated near Porthcawl, Bridgend. Wild storms and huge tides between the 13th and 15th centuries are mainly responsible for creating the Kenfig dunes near Porthcawl, as they threw vast quantities of sand up over the Glamorgan coast. This buried the nearby borough of Kenfig, and its castle, of which only the ruined keep survives. At 70 acres the second largest (after Llangorse Lake) freshwater lake in south Wales. Kenfig Pool lies at the heart of the national nature reserve and is a valuable stopping point for migrating birds. The lake's maximum depth is about 12 feet. An island, built by the aristocrats living in nearby Margam to encourage wildfowl (which they would shoot) to nest there, has long since sunk beneath the waters.

Sker House is a historic building in Wales. Originally built as a monastic grange of the Cistercian order over 900 years ago, it is situated just outside the town of Porthcawl, near Bridgend. Little remains of the original structure and it was completely rebuilt in the late sixteenth century. Its residential form appears to have been determined by the preceding monastic grange. The house was made famous as the basis of R. D. Blackmore's book The Maid of Sker.

Kenfig Castle (Welsh: Castell Cynffig) is a ruined castle in Bridgend County Borough in Wales that came to prominence after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Wales in the late 11th century.

SS Samtampa was a 7,219 ton steamship wrecked on Sker Point, off Porthcawl and Kenfig, Wales, in the Bristol Channel on 23 April 1947. At the time of the shipwreck, the Samtampa was operated by the Houlder Line.There were 47 fatalities in the incident, 39 from the ship and 8 volunteer crew of the lifeboat RNLB Edward, Prince of Wales (ON 678) from The Mumbles Lifeboat Station who died attempting to save the crew of the Samtampa. The lifeboat had returned to base, but had been sent out a second time. An oil spill from the tanks of the wrecked ship created an area of calm water, which the lifeboat coxswain, William Gammon (previously a winner of the RNLI Gold Medal), attempted to use to their advantage to enable them to pull alongside, and those who died were choked by the oil rather than drowning. The ship had sailed from Middlesbrough and most of the 39 crew hailed from the Teesside area. A memorial to the victims of the Samtampa tragedy is in Porthcawl Cemetery and a commemorative plaque can be found marking the "final resting place of The Mumbles lifeboat" at Sker Point. The location of the wreck was 51°30′01″N 03°44′26″W In recognition of the sixtieth anniversary, a church service took place in Porthcawl on Saturday 21 April followed by a smaller service at Sker Point. On Sunday 23rd April 2022, Porthcawl Runners hosted a 75th anniversary fun run on Mumbles Seafront. A year later, they held a similar run at Porthcawl Promenade, slightly longer in length, but with twice as many entrants. So, far the events have raised over £3000 for the RNLI and it is hoped that with its growing popularity, the event will take place every year. The Samtampa had been launched as the SS Peleg Wadsworth, a liberty ship built by the New England Shipbuilding Corporation at South Portland, Maine, and launched on 12 December 1943. Sent to Britain under the Lend-Lease program, the ship was renamed, and managed by the Houlder Line on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport.

North Cornelly (Welsh: Gogledd Corneli) is a village in Cornelly, Bridgend county borough, Wales. The village is close to South Cornelly, adjoins Pyle and Porthcawl, and junction 37 of the M4 motorway, which runs along its southern side. The village is accessible from the motorway, the A4229 and the A48. There are regular buses to Porthcawl, Bridgend and Port Talbot. The nearest railway station is Pyle. North Cornelly is first recorded as 'The Vill of Walter Lupellus' in a 12th-century document. The name North Cornelly probably derived from its close proximity to the crossroads where the road to the original village of Cornelly (present-day South Cornelly) branched off from the main road.

South Cornelly (Welsh: Corneli Waelod) is a village in Cornelly, Bridgend county borough, Wales. The village is close to North Cornelly, Pyle and Porthcawl, and junction 37 of the M4 motorway, which runs along its northern side. It is in the historic county of Glamorgan. The population was 471 in 2011.The village is accessible from the motorway, the A4229 and the A48. There are regular buses to Porthcawl, Bridgend and Port Talbot. The nearest railway station is Pyle. South Cornelly came into being as an Anglo-Norman settlement in the second half of the 12th century. The village is named after St Cornelius, and is the 'original' Cornelly, though a document of the time indicates that it was almost known as 'Thomastown' after Thomas son of William, an early local Lord of the Manor. His descendants subsequently adopted the name 'De Cornelly' and their house is believed to have been located at the site of the mansion called Ty Maen on the main road through the village.

Cornelly (Welsh: Corneli) is a community and electoral ward in Bridgend County Borough, South Wales. As of 2011 the population of the Cornelly ward was 7,059.Cornelly was created following The Bridgend (Cynffig, Cornelly and Pyle Communities) (Electoral Changes) Order 2002 which divided Cynffig into Cornelly and Pyle (divided by the mainline railway). Councillors to the new Cornelly Community Council were elected at the May 2004 elections.Cornelly includes two villages, North Cornelly and South Cornelly, and it is bisected by the A48 and M4. Sand dunes in the area conceal the walled town of Kenfig, founded in the 1120s and overwhelmed in the late 14th century. Another notable local feature is Sker House, a historic building which overlooks the dunes. North Cornelly is part of the urban area of Pyle. Cornelly is also an electoral ward, coterminous with the community. Prior to April 1996 it was a ward to Ogwr Borough Council and Mid Glamorgan County Council. Since 1995 has elected two county councillors to Bridgend County Borough Council. Initially represented by the Labour Party, it elected two Independent councillors from 2008.

The 1995 Walker Cup, the 35th Walker Cup Match, was a team golf match played on 9 and 10 September 1995, at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Porthcawl, Wales. The event was won by the Great Britain and Ireland team 14 to 10.

The 13th Curtis Cup Match was played on 11 and 12 September 1964 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Porthcawl, Wales. The United States won by 101⁄2 matches to 71⁄2, to retain the Curtis Cup. This was the first Curtis Cup with two sets of matches, increasing the number of points available from 9 to 18. The teams were level after the first day. The British Isles won two of the three foursomes matches but the United States won three of the six singles with another match halved. The teams were still level after the second day foursomes but the United States won four of the six singles with another halved, to win by three points.

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club is a golf club in Wales in the United Kingdom, located north of Porthcawl and bordering the Bristol Channel. The club has hosted many prestigious tournaments including The Amateur Championship on six occasions, the Walker Cup in 1995, the Curtis Cup in 1964, the British Masters in 1961, and European Tour event, the Welsh Golf Classic in the early 1980s. In March 2010, it hosted the University Golf Match between Oxford and Cambridge universities, with Oxford winning 9–6. The Senior Open Championship has been played here three times, in 2014, 2017, and 2023.

Rest Bay is a bay and beach near Porthcawl on the coast of Bridgend County Borough, Wales. The long sandy beach is west facing and is popular with surfers, though facilities have been basic. There is a pay and display carpark. A cafe, Malc's, was located nearby.Plans were approved in August 2017 to create a new watersports hub, which would include a new cafe, public toilets, changing rooms, a function room and a covered area for walkers. Part of the funding for the improvements came from £1.5 million of European Union funding.Rest Bay is designated a Blue Flag beach based on the cleanliness of the water and the availability of local community educational activities.

Sker Point is a headland in Bridgend County Borough on the South Wales coast between Port Talbot and Porthcawl. It marks the south end of Kenfig Sands. The placename Sker is of Old Norse origin, and means skerry. On April 23, 1947, the Samtampa, a liberty ship, was wrecked at Sker Point. Her crew of 39 perished and all eight volunteer crewmen of the Mumbles RNLI lifeboat were lost while attempting to rescue them. There is a memorial plaque set into the rocks of Sker Point.Sker Point is also the title of a song by the Welsh heavy metal band Triaxis.