A Tour Of Porthcawl “THEN & NOW" - How Does It Compare?
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2024
- A tour of Porthcawl on the South Wales coast.
How does it look now compared to the way it looked in the past?
Porthcawl Pier and docks were first constructed in the 1860s as a coal and iron port but due to the difficult tides and frequent rough seas lost out to Cardiff and Barry, the docks eventually closed in 1907.
The large pier still remains and pictures of giant waves breaking over the top can be seen in many newspapers and news reports whenever there’s a storm.
Porthcawl then became a popular seaside holiday resort. The first promenade was built in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
The main shopping street, John Street still has many late Victorian and Edwardian buildings.
The domed Grand Pavilion theatre on the seafront was built in 1932.
The Rest Home overlooking Rest Bay was built as a convalescent hotel in the early 1860s and used as a military hospital during World War I. It has recently been converted into apartments.
The villages of Nottage and Newton date back hundreds of years before Porthcawl town.
A settlement at Nottage village dates back to the days of the Vikings and Newton village dates back to the 12th century. Newton Church was founded by the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem 800 years ago and was originally built as a fortress.
Coney Beach amusement park opened in the 1920s, it is now just a shadow of its former self
The places in Porthcawl we visited
0:00 Rest Bay Intro
1:40 Porthcawl Pier And Harbour
3:09 Coney Beach
3:33 Porthcawl Promenade
5:42 John Street
6:18 Lias Road
6:30 Station Hill
6:43 John Street
7:18 Gordon Road
7:30 Victoria Avenue
8:05 Rest Bay
8:55 Rest Home
9:15 Nottage Village
9:53 Newton Village
‘A Tour Of Porthcawl Then & Now - How Does It Compare?’ - Filmed November 2020
#Porthcawl #VisitWales
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Brummie bloke here, spent much of my childhood in Porthcawl and Trecco Bay. Mom and Dad owned a caravan there. So many great memories of halcyon days and golden years.
Glad it brought back some good memories.
Amazing video. Great work. Didn't everything look so much more elegant in the old photos and they had more difficulty to contend with than we do currently. I've so many happy memories of summertime in Porthcawl in the 70's and 80's. It was a great place to enjoy childhood. We need to reflect on our poor attitudes of the last few decades of excess and remember what is most important. Looking after our community and family. Loved it.
I only live 20 miles away from Porthcawl but when I was a kid on our holidays it seemed a million miles away. My grandfather would put me on his shoulders to watch the watershoot ride. I have fond memories of those times. It's been nice to see some investment such as the coffee shop and restaurants by the harbour. Times have been hard for many towns and Porthcawl is no different. As a surfer and cyclist these days I still visit often and will always have a soft spot for the place. Thanks for the film.
Yes, the harbour area is much better than its been for years. A lot of people complain about Porthcawl but its much better now than when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s.
My home I love it
Seen you yesterday on my way back from sker beach 👌🏻
Thank you for such a lovely video this morning. Those old photos have so much character and charm. Some things have changed completely, some "updated", but some retain the that old charm still. Beautiful town. I miss being on that side of the pond.
Glad, you enjoyed.
Luckily we had a break in the rain and grey skies for a couple of days and got some great autumn sunshine.
We should invest and get the railways back, Cuttings, embankments still there even some bridges. would help to get the economy going.
Yes, it would be great and very useful to get some the old lines back
Loved that. I'm from Pontypridd with lots of fond memories of Porthcawl. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Very much enjoyed that, totally agree with HL Jones this once charming seaside town has lost all of it's soul.
Glad you enjoyed.
Such a lovely film to watch, missing this place so much, but one day we know we will be able to come back....porthcawl and its people will always be there.
Hopefully, it won't be too long before you can return
Counting the hours and minutes....so jealous of you living by the sea, but ,we know its not going anywhere, so will wait...all be it with fingers drumming on the side....😁
I was born in a nursing home in Porthcawl in 1946. In 1953 my parents imigrated us to Canada. IN 2000 my husband and I went back to scatter my parents ashes at Rest Bay and stayed in a charming B & B right on the promenade. It was a lovely time we had and toured the coast of South Wales for 2 weeks. Love this country and wish I had the opportunity of living there all my life but alas.
Glad you had a good time. Hopefully you will get to visit again.
Sandy bay with the water taps I remember 😄we would play in them for hours as kids
I think I remember those, were they just out in the open at various points around the site.
Yes they were '' rings off manholes they were' made into taps 😄 b4 health &safety
I grew up in the 80's/90's. I have amazing childhood memories of Porthcawl. Porthcawl was always my whole family's favourite holiday destination. I seem to remember a big Anchor somewhere near the pier for people to touch? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Maybe even a cannon somewhere? There were water taps everywhere in the caravan park. I used to love fishing off the pier with my step father. Nights with my Mother and stepfather in the dirty duck, the big top and castaway which had a great park outside, then we would grab fish n chips at the end of the night and go back to our caravan. Car boot sales every Sunday.
Thank you for bringing back these incredible memories.
The anchor is still there new the harbour. The gun next to the sea cadets which you could climb on has gone and the Dirty Duck is just waste ground. I remember those taps around the old caravan site.
Holidays when I was little were visiting my Dad’s Welsh family, and we would always go for a day out at Porthcawl so this was a lovely reminder. Thank you for a great video, well presented.
Thanks
Brilliant stuff 👍
So many pictures I've never seen before. Well done. Excellent video
Many thanks and taking the time to comment.
Really nice video, and I have fond memories of a weeks holiday in a very small caravan when I was a child 😎
Glad you enjoyed it
My parents retired to Porthcawl in the 60's My dad bought a big house on West Drive right on the seafront. I spent all my holidays at Porthcawl playing golf at the RPGC. Many happy memories of the town, of the Stoneleigh night club and the back bar at the Seabank Hotel where all the youngsters used to meet on Sat nghts. I sold up and moved to London in the 90's a move ive regretted. PS think i saw my house on one of the vids of the front past the Atlantic Hotel my house was about 10 along from there near where the road turns up by the shelter to the common. Must go back and visit for one last time. Thanks for reminding me of Porthcawl many happy times ....
Glad it brought back some good memories.
Just Amazing to see loved the old pictures
Looked so much better years ago love these videos have watched all afternoon thank you. Also like to say I watched a video of the old railway line from kenfig hill to Porthcawl my grate grandmother lived in smokey cottage in south Cornell’s
Glad you like them! Although, Porthcawl seafront and beaches seem to be having a revival judging by the number of people and surfers out and about today.
Excellent video. I've seen a few of those old photos online but never managed to match them with the present biuldings - until now :)
Thanks, I've seen those too and showing exactly where they were one of the reasons I made this vid
Loved going to Porthcawl as a child in the 70s. A week away with my gran every year. Seemed better then, but most things do from your childhood memories. Moving to Ogmore next year, can't wait. Merry Christmas Marcus and Mel xx
Merry Christmas to you too.
Well done again love it 👍😎
thanks!
That's wonderful thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
That was brilliant. A fair bit of work went into this to find the locations as some have changed dramatically. Great work.
Thanks, yes some spots are easy to match but others have changed quite a bit. I couldn't quite get the same angle on a few of the rail ones because it would have meant standing in the middle of a dual carriageway.
Excellent, informative and entertaining as always 👍
Thanks again!
I really enjoyed your video. Porthcawl has always been one of my favourite places. You made me feel old when you spoke about the railway. I live in the Rhondda valley and I went there by train, possibly twice. Through the Rhondda tunnel and then another tunnel from Cymmer to Maesteg. Usually Sunday school trips. Thanks for putting that video together.
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
I used to walk from Bridgend to Porthcawl fair with 50p in my pocket to do two rides then walk all the way back. Ah the "good ol days". I later ended up attending Porthcawl comp in the late 80's early 90's. Fond memories of this lovely seaside town. Loved the video, many thanks for your time and effort.
Attended the comp in the late 80s, just after my time there.
Great video I enjoyed it 😀
I remember being in Porthcawl several times during the 70s and 80s with the jazzband. Our road march would start from the square in trecco bay and we’d march through town. There was some kind of arena at the back of the fair with seats all around. Over the years, I’ve seen that arena as a carboot sale and I’m sure at one time there were sea lions or dolphins in a huge pool. I could be wrong
Yes at the back of the fair was where they used to have the summer fireworks. It did have seats around (all gone now).
Have so many happy memories staying in Porthcawl for miners fortnight in Trecco Bay. The town felt alive and used to go to the radio 1 roadshow. I prefer the pavilion end now and love watching the large waves coming in. Thanks for your videos just discovered them today and brought back so many memories. Love you to do more in the valleys, aberavon, and beyond
I remember the Radio 1 roadshows. Will do more around the area when we can travel again.
We really loved it when the ‘trecco Trogs’ came to town each summer🤔
@@senorphilipe4242 Yep, ' only the locals know about the "Trogs".
That was brilliant. Thank you for sharing it with us .
Glad you enjoyed and thanks for taking the time to comment.
Your very welcome
Definitely then lovely video. Lovely music
Many thanks
i was born in a bungalow in nottage in 1967, and my brother was born in a house on new road. most of my aunts and uncles use to live in popular road.
Lovely video thank you. We have been coming to Porthcawl, for the last 15 years. Sadly our holiday last year in September was canceled. Hopefully we might be able to return soon.
Glad you enjoyed it, fingers crossed for this summer
Lived about 28 miles away and used to go there on holiday in the late 70s /80s. I was only a young boy, but the place had such a great atmosphere. I remember when Jaws was playing at the cinema and loads of people were frightened to go into tge sea for a paddle. There were shoals of Mackrell coming close to the beaches and fishermen were catching buckets full of them and selling around the caravan park. I got a job delivering newspapers in the morning to try to get some money for the arcades. I have lots of fond memories . Summers seemed warmer and sunnier in those days. The picture of the beach with the fairground behind it and the watershoot is how zi remember it. The Funhouse was great. A bit sad to see it now as I think the glory days seem to be behind it. Great video.
I think I prefer it before! I remember the esplanade from when I first moved here in the early 90's . Had two night clubs underneath I this. De niros and can't remember the other. Why did they remove the railway?
The architecture of the old Esplanade Hotel was nice but since I was a kid the place was always very run down and a bit of a mess. The railway link would be great to have but they removed so many in the early 60s.
Waves, the other one was called.
@@richardbrown8099 that was later. It was called something else before that
Hi ,my memories started in 1958 , finished in 1970 ,we caravans at tresco bay ,,newton bay (piont) with the family , ,the last time was at the last house on the row at west bay ,, the upper floor was apartments the basement was full of the owners rolls royces the type with the big chrome head lights , beautiful, , ,loved every holiday ,,,hope it's not ruined ..
Quite interesting even though not been there but watch the live cam on the pier.
another gr8 watch thx
Thanks
We used to travel to Porthcawl by train When Beeching shut it down we came by train on the last Saturday A total of 150 trains used Porthcawl station that day form all over the place 6 came from Birmingham alone The branch line was from Pyle and used a Pannier Tank Loco or as we called then in my part of the valleys "Puffing Billies"
Thanks for the info, I was too young to remember the railway although I wish we had it now.
Great vid.
Thanks
Really fabulous video (as are all your Welsh videos).
Many thanks!
We used to catch train from Briton Ferry. Change at Pyle.
Great video, quite sad. I think the biggest change to effect porthcawl was the removal of the train station.
I was born in 82 so didn’t see it but my dad use to tell me about it.
Yep, I think it closed in the early '60s, it would great to have it back again, the mainline at Pyle isn't that far away.
@@flydriveexplore porthcawl was one of the top seaside towns in the UK back then.
They really have made such a mess of the town, stripping away all its old buildings and history and leaving it with an unimpressive modernity.
Marcus ou put in so much effort and leg work for these videos cannot thank you enough for the hours of pleasure and memories that come flooding back when watching. All the best mate. Also do you happen to know if the Prince of Wales pub still has the two beautiful flowering cherry trees in the back yard - I recall vividly as a kid in the early 70s the cherry blossom as this pub was my dads favourite. Having lived away since 1983 Ive no way to check :) cheers mate!
Thanks. Not sure about the Prince of Wales, is it the Prince of Wales on Station Hill you are referring to?
@@flydriveexplore yup sorry I meant the one on station hill :)
@@hunkhk I'll take a look when I'm passing next.
This video is awesome. I was down there a few months ago,looking for parts of the old railway line,there is a small stretch of it just above cuckoo bridge,which you can get on to via the field on the right han d side just before the bridge,and then jump over a gate. Worth a look
Thanks, I'll takle a look as I do take a walk under the bridge quite often. I have taken a look at Nottage Halt where you can still see the platform
That's an amazing job this chap has done. What a lockdown project! I might do something similar In the Rhondda one day. Excellent
Thanks 👍
Beautiful video Marcus. I found it quite emotional to watch. Sometimes modernisation is not for the better. Lovely to see the old photos though 😍
Thanks
We just had a week in Porthcawl, and thought it was a lovely, vibrant little town with a nice chilled vibe.
Plenty of local business' too which was good to see.
Glad you liked it and had a good time. Nice weather too.
@@flydriveexplore thanks. Forgot to mention I loved the video and the music. I listened thru headphones, and it was rather emotional!
Certainly loved Porthcawl area, some amazing bays and large clean sandy beaches.
brilliant video , love the music , shame theyre going to change it all. I remember it in the middle 70,s &80,s it was brilliant . used to go every year with my mam&dad & family. happy valley and trecco bay when I was a kid. great memories
Stayed at the Glamorgan Holiday Home with my brothers in the late 1990's. Would be nice to see the rail link restored to the area.
That rail line would be good, it's only just over 3 miles to the main line.
This is awesome. Do you think there’s a chance to overlay the year of the original picture (if you know it) so as to get a sense of the years difference? Thanks
I'll have to see what I can do as many don't have exact dates. They have to be dated from the building such as no Grand Pavilion is before 1932, the building of the Pier is around 1960.
Thanks so much, i really enjoyed that. Like many I came from the valleys when I retired and still think Porthcawl is the best place in the world. (Erm, except for the "bottle bank" those responsible for that monstrosity should be jailed)
Glad you enjoyed it 👍
I visit Porthcawl every week only living a few miles away often visiting the dinors park that now lies overgrown
There are finally plans for that old Dinosaur park
No pictures of Sandy Bay caravan site then & now! That would be an eye-opener!
Home 😍
Blame Beecham for rail closure!.
We should never let old amusement parks / resorts just go away. They should always be preserved in some fashion. Otherwise people in the future will wonder what the hell was wrong with us. And they'll be right. Thanks for at least capturing the comparison in video.
I was just there today
Is the Rafa club still there ? Wow can’t believe wot happened to the Esplanade hotel the fire the night club underneath Falgonis ice cream?
Tennis courts! the figure of 8 OMG the water slide, My Mother worked at the stoney club haha any one remember?
So sorry going on had the best time of my life in the town Bob hope and Bing Crosby still owe my Mum money for photos she took of them at the Miners rest home!
That sea wall has got a lot shorter over the years watching the waves over the sea wall OMG it scared me Now I can taste the salt water on my tongue WOW!!
Swimming in that pool in the rocks with raw sewage as company haha! im not joking either and to top it off some of the best ice cream I have ever had in my life
God bless you Porthcawl Love ya always xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx sorry for the spelling just had to do it!!!!!!
I heard that they were going to reopen Salt Lake but I didn't know if it was true or not.
There's various talk every year. What they have announced is the building of an Aldi at the bottom end by the fire station, not really that exciting.
great memories, but not as good as it used to be, best for me mid 1960's . started to go down hill a bit from 1971.
How old is the fine church 10:22 in ?
Founded around 1180.
Refurbished 1486
Restored 1860.
The original tower top was flat and used as a tower to ward off any potential hostile forces.
Thank you very much, l would love to see inside.
Last time I went to Porthcawl in 1976, the little school that my Dad went to until he was 11 was still there - ( he left school at age 11 - there was no compulsory secondary school education in those days -1910) It had a little bell tower and a small playground. I didn't see it in your photos perhaps it has been demolished?
I think that could be Newton Primary on New Road opened in 1908, a red brick building. Before that date, there was a small school in Newton village itself.
@@flydriveexplore Thank you. I remember my Dad saying that the headmaster of the school he attended was Mr. Griffiths. Thank you for your wonderful videos
@@flydriveexplore Thank you I think it must have been the older school that my Dad and his seven!! (he was the only boy) sisters attended. I am not sure of the exact date that my grandfather moved to be the Porthcawl Coastguard officer. My Dad was born in Angle in Pembrokeshire my grandad was coastguard there in 1899. At some time during his childhood Dad lived at the coastguard station on the mumbles island near Swansea. I think that was before Porthcawl, but I am not sure. most of Dad's childhood was spent in Porthcawl. When I went with Dad to see Mumbles the coastguard houses and the lighthouse keepers houses were still there. I remember Dad telling me that they all had large families and many children lived on that tiny island! They went to school by boat. Sadly when I returned much later after Dad had passed, the houses had all been demolished, there was however a photograph of the island complete with the houses on the wall in a nearby cafe.
There is just one more little thing I would like to tell you about my Dad. He joined the Royal Navy as a ship's boy in 1913. The training ships were old ships without many navigation aids. One night the ship Dad was on went off course. Dad could not help overhearing the officers talking about a lighthouse that they could see in the distance. Dad spoke up "That's Mumbles light sir" "Don't be ridiculous" came the reply, " We are nowhere near Mumbles" Dad knew that every lighthouse had it's own sequence of light beams, so he insisted that it was Mumbles light. He told the officers that he had lived on Mumbles and knew the sequence very well. They believed him and changed course and Dad got a special commendation for it.
@@faithgooder2938 Well done, in my shipwreck video, it wasn't uncommon for ships to mistake the Bristol Channel for the English Channel.
Suitably sombre music as we watch a real gem disolve to discarded costume jewellery. You put a lot of work into this, and it should be used as a valuable resource for councils all over Wales to see what happens when there is no long term vision for the look of our towns. As a happy camper throughout the 60s and 70s I sometimes feel the urge to go back and visit Porthcawl, but every time I have done so (I went in Sept, after many years' hiatus) I wonder why I bothered. Tenby and Porthcawl should have been South Wales' 2 main international showpiece sea-side towns, blessed as they are with natural beauty on their doorsteps. Tenby stands alone now. I don't mean that Porthcawl is actually ugly (up for discussion), and I'm sure it's a nice place to live, and children will still enjoy the caravans and beaches, but the town used to be a place worth visiting, architecturally, more so in Victorian times, it seems. As for their plans for 100s of flats? Guess what I think about that.
Sad as it is to see it confirmed, thanks for making the video that illustrates so well what I'd long thought about this place.
Appreciated and thanks for taking the time to comment
Sadly the truth about Porthcawl is in my video THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF PORTHCAWL if I share a link it’s removed so you have to find my channel GEORGE STRONG AKA BARRY there are several revealing videos about Sandy Bay and Porthcawl in general. I tend not to do commentary just visual + music
It might upset a few 😲
Agree the railway should have stayed would have been less cars also more people would have visited porthcawl
Then = beauty, now = shit. I want a time machine
It wasn't that good in the 80s, Rest Bay is better. The harbour and building have a use for the first time in at least 50 years. Seafront doesn't have tarmac anymore. And there's not so much s**t in the sea when you swim.
@@flydriveexplore Yes but I think the "then" I am talking about is the Late Victorian/Edwardian age. It all started going wrong from the 1920's IMHO
@@JonathanHurleyDesignSolutions Yes, it would be interesting to see what it was actually like back in that era.
I grew up there and have fond memories of my childhood in the 70s. Unfortunately without exception it is an uglier place. People have stripped away the character. A real shame.
What a beautiful world previously, now everything is so boring, utilitarian, without character, and we call it progress?? 😢