Bridgend

Bridgend Pen-y-bont ar Ogwyr
Town & Community
The Old Bridge, Bridgend
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	Wales
Region	South Wales
Ceremonial county	Glamorgan
Principal area	Bridgend
Government
• Type	Town Council
• Mayor	Cllr. R.Burns
Area
• Town & Community	2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2)
• Urban	6.03 sq mi (15.63 km2)
Population  (2011)
• Town & Community	14,912
• Density	5,900/sq mi (2,300/km2)
• Urban	46,757
• Urban density	7,700/sq mi (3,000/km2)
Postcode district	CF31-33, CF35
Area code	01656
Website	http://www.bridgendtowncouncil.gov.uk

Bridgend (English: /brɪˈdʒɛnd/; Welsh: Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, meaning "Head of the Bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, 18-mile (29 km) west of Cardiff and 20-mile (32 km) east of Swansea. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore, but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town.

History

Historically a part of Glamorgan, Bridgend has grown a lot since the early 1980s - the United Kingdom Census in 2001 found a population of 39,429, and the 2011 census found that the Bridgend Local Authority had a population of 139,200 up from 128,700 in 2001. This 8.2% rise was the largest in Wales except for Cardiff. The town is undergoing redevelopment, with the town centre pedestrianised and a new business park opened.