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Whether you prefer the thrills of the funfair, a quiet walk along the promenade or a lazy day sunning yourself on one of its fine beaches, Porthcawl has it all.
You’ll be able to enjoy good food and hospitality at the many inns, restaurants or hotels in the town centre, and in the nearby picturesque villages of Newton and Nottage. Shoppers will be in their element either in the High Street or in popular New Road (or Station Hill as it’s known locally). Situated between Cardiff and Swansea, and just a few miles from the M4 motorway, Porthcawl is ideally located to gain easy access to all main towns, cities and coastal areas of South Wales.
So what does Porthcawl have to offer? Most day visitors come to Porthcawl for its fairground, perhaps the last of its type in Wales. But the enormous caravan park at Trecco attracts people throughout the year, offering long-and short-term rents. With the credit crunch, caravan holidays are experiencing an upturn, offering at Porthcawl fantastic sea views and easy beach access.
Porthcawl itself is not historic in the way of Cowbridge or Llantwit. But its associated villages of Nottage and Newton have profound histories. Newton's pubs are some of the oldest in the area, and the church of St John the Baptist boasts an extraordinary medieval pulpit, the carved figures so real they might have been based on locals. Founded in the twelfth century, its fortress-like design speaks of a time of upheaval and conflict.
Both Newton and Nottage have superb village greens, popular with locals who take their drinks there on summer evenings. As to the sea itself, this year Rest Bay and Trecco Bay have maintained Blue Flag status. The former offers some of the best surfing in south Wales, plus exhilarating walks to Sker and into Kenfig National Nature Reserve.
Newton was the first harbour in the area, and from the slipway there are walks east along Traeth yr Afon to the Ogwr rivermouth. Turn inland and there are tracks across the unique duneland to Merthyr Mawr.
Culturally, Porthcawl is at last showing signs of health. Writer Tom Anderson celebrates surf and much more in his latest volume, Chasing Dean (Summersdale), whilst musicians Richard Thomas and Peter Morgan offer exciting performances.
The resort is strongly associated with television celebrities such as Ruth Jones, Rob Brydon and Jan Anderson. The man who encouraged their talent - Roger Burnell - continues to develop the theatre and television work of Porthcawl actors. And of course, in the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl boasts one of the most successful (and attractive) theatres in south Wales, in a wonderful seafront location.
You’ll never have to go far for a drink or somewhere to eat. Thirsty? You could try The Lorelei, 38, Esplanade Avenue, with its wonderful selection of real ales, some from Vale breweries, and home-cooked food. And to satiate that hunger, you could try Y Deri Cymreig in John Street, La Rochelle in Well Street and Salthouse on The Square. Who can resist fish and chips and a walk along the front. Those urges can be satiated by Beale’s Fish and Chip Shop on the Eastern Promenade or Finnegan’s Fish & Chips, Station Hill and The Station Hill Fish Bar on, you guessed it, Station Hill!
Looking for presents? Then there's Vida, the lifestyle boutique on Station Hill, Serenity based below the funky new apartments overlooking the sea, Shoe22 and Holkat children’s boutique on New Road and SUSSED, the ethical and green shop at 92, John Street.
If you’re a surfing dude, then Porthcawl is one of the top locations in Wales for surfing and competitions are regularly held at Rest Bay. There are three golf courses to the north of the town. Porthcawl is also home to rugby union team Porthcawl RFC and rugby league side Bridgend Blue Bulls. There are many watersports and outdoor activities on offer from abseiling to scuba diving.
Porthcawl has many events held throughout the year, namely The Porthcawl Jazz Festival held annually in April, the Town Carnival which takes place annually in July, Surf Cult runs for a week in September and the now infamous Elvis Festival runs every September, attracting Elvis tribute artists and devotees from across the World. Other festivals include the Nottage Beer Festival and the Porthcawl Sea Festival.
As you can see, there’s more to see and do at Porthcawl than you think!
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PORTHCAWL
Holkat childrenswear boutique
On the popular New Road is Holkat, a gorgeous childrenswear boutique for newborns and children up to eight years old. We caught up with Owner Sharan Sinclair to find out why the boutique is so popular.
Sharan, what does Holkat sell?
HolKat is a childrenswear boutique selling girls and boys clothing and accessories for newborns up to 8 year olds. We stock Emile et Rose, Coco Collection, Elle, Timberland, Chipie, Legowear, Berlingot, Little Joules, Little Darlings, Abella, Catamini, Pampolina and many more.
When did you buy the business?
The shop has been selling childrens - wear for over 20 years under its original name MiniMinor. The previous owner retired in 2008 and I decided to buy it because it was so well established with customers coming from miles around.
Why Porthcawl?
I was brought up in Porthcawl and my parents still live in Nottage. Although I now live in Margam with my husband Jonathan and our daughters Holly and Katie, I still think of Porthcawl as my home. It’s a thriving town and I particularly liked the bustling area known locally as Station Hill. New Road has a fantastic range of quality shops and we’re all very neighbourly, which is great.
My husband is also a local businessman, whose family owns car dealerships the length and breadth of South Wales. We both love the area.
Why Holkat?
The name comes from my daughters Holly & Katie.
Who shops here?
Obviously locals, but we’re seeing more and more new faces. We get most of our business from word-of-mouth which is the best way, I think, as it means we’re giving the customer what they want and they’re happy to recommend us.
Any plans for the future?
Yes, I’d like to get the website ww.holkat.co.uk fully operational and keep my existing customers happy and, hopfefully, gain a few more along the way.
HolKat
31 New Road, Porthcawl CF36 5DL
01656 771559
info@holkat.co.uk
Open 10am-5pm Monday to Friday. |
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PORTHCAWL
These boots are made for walking!
Liz Fry, owner of SHOE22, knows a thing or two about footwear. Whether it’s back to school shoes for the kids, or the right name brands for kids and mums alike, SHOE22 is where it’s at. With a loyal customer base, and new ones visiting daily, it would be difficult to keep this shoe emporium a secret for long. We caught up with Liz to find out more.
Liz, tell us more about SHOE22.
We offer a wide range of designer, continental and classic shoes for children from birth up to the teenagers ib a size 8 (eu41). We even have a small range for mums too. Most of all, we pride ourselves on our expert fitting service, accommodating the client’s individual needs, as our customer service and knowledge is second to none. From your first pair of shoes – from crawling to walking tall, SHOE22 will be with you every step of the way.
How long has SHOE22 been in business?
SHOE22 was launched in march 2007 so we’ve just entered our third year.
What brands do you stock?
We have a treasure trove of kids’ shoes from the great British classic ‘Startrite’, to Lelli Kelly, Geox, Sketchers, Miss Sixty, Pom D’api, Agatha Ruiz De la Prada, Naturino, Primigi, Moschino and Birkenstock, plus a host of pretty and perky European brands.
Who are your customers – age ranges?
We have a wide range of customers starting from birth to teens. We even sell to mums!
What are your biggest sellers?
Undoubtedly it would have to be our range of ‘back to school’ shoes. We have a massive selection and make sure that we keep the selection fully stocked so as not to disappoint. You’d be surprised, but children, not surprisingly more so girls than boys, have their own ideas on what they like. We respect their ideas and work with both mum and child to find the perfect shoe.
Are your customers local?
We have great local support from our neighboring towns and the valleys. Customers also travel as far afield as Carmarthenshire and England. We even regularly send parcels to a family in America!
What are your future plans?
We are always looking for ‘the new up and coming’ ‘must haves’ and will continue to do so. We train our staff continuously to maintain our high standard of shoe fitting, and of course to keep the shop friendly and welcoming, ensuring our customers leave happy and satisfied with the service. SHOE22 has been very successful in Porthcawl and we’d very much like to expand in other areas. We are definitely looking for bigger premises in Porthcawl, too!
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