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Porthcawl

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Porthcawl

Porthcawl ([pɔrθˈkaul] ) is a town and community in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales. It is located on the south coast, 25 miles (40 km) west of Cardiff and 19 miles (31 km) south-east of Swansea.

Historically part of Glamorgan and situated on a low limestone headland on the South Wales coast, overlooking the Bristol Channel, Porthcawl developed as a coal port during the 19th century, but its trade was soon taken over by more rapidly developing ports such as Barry. North-west of the town, in the dunes known as Kenfig Burrows, lies the remains of Kenfig Castle.

Porth is a common Welsh element meaning "harbour" and the cawl here refers to "sea kale", which may have grown in profusion or even been collected here.

Porthcawl is a holiday resort in South Wales and is home to a large static caravan park known as Trecco Bay, which is owned and operated by Parkdean Resorts. It has an extensive promenade and several 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 north-west 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. Trecco Bay and Rest Bay are Blue Flag Beaches.

Porthcawl, like many British resorts, has suffered a decline in its holiday trade, especially since most of the South Wales Valleys coal pits closed. A major feature of the summer was the miners' fortnight, when large numbers of miners took their annual break.

Tourist attractions in the area include sandy beaches, a grand pavilion, a funfair named Coney Beach (modelled on Coney Island in New York), a museum, three golf courses and the site of the former black obelisk.

Built in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden 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. It was restored in 1996. There are many cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels along the promenade, which offer views across the Bristol Channel.

The Grand Pavilion, built at a cost of £25,000 in 1932, is the venue for 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.

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