September brings a month of free history activities as part of the inaugural ‘Ogwr History Month’. Throughout the month there will be free history talks, walks and displays across Bridgend County Borough.
Ogwr History Month is organised by the Ogwr Heritage Network, a partnership of history societies and heritage sites across Bridgend County Borough. The History Month also includes free open days at several historic buildings, which are organised in partnership with the CADW Open Doors festival.
Stefanie van Stokkom, Heritage Manager at Awen Cultural Trust, explains: “There is so much history around Bridgend County Borough, from prehistoric sites to medieval castles and industrial valleys. We tend to overlook the history around us, so the History Month is a great way to find out more about history on our doorsteps, as well as further afield. It also provides a great opportunity to support local heritage sites and get involved with our brilliant local history societies.”
Thanks to UK Government funding, all Ogwr History Month activities are free. This includes talks by the likes of Will Millard and Martin Johnes, as well as history walks by Graham Loveluck-Edwards. There are also a variety of open days and exhibitions, including a display on the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike which includes a virtual reality experience.
All activities in the History Month are free, but due to capacity limitations many of the activities are ticketed. The free tickets can be booked via the links below.
| September | Time | Venue | Event | More information / tickets |
| Monday 2nd | 3pm – 5pm | Maesteg Library | Lego Club – build a bit of history in Lego! | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/lego-club-ogwr-history-theme/ |
| Tuesday 3rd | 11am | Maesteg Library | History talk* and display by Richard Williams and Amanda Powell: ‘Coal and Community in Wales’. A photo display on St John’s Colliery is on show all day. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-coal-and-community-in-wales/ |
| Wednesday 4th | 1.45pm | Porthcawl Library | History talk* by Peter Rees: ‘Child Evacuation to Wales in the Second World War’. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-child-evacuations-to-wales-in-ww2/ |
| Friday 6th | 2pm | Awel y Môr, Porthcawl | History talk* by Phil Cope: ‘Paul Robeson in Wales’. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/heritage-history-paul-robeson-aym/ |
| Saturday 7th | 10am – 1pm | Ogmore Valley Heritage Hub | History Open Day by the Ogmore Valley Local History Society, in partnership with CADW Open Doors. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-open-day-ogmore-mem-boys-girls-club/ |
| Saturday 7th | 10am | William Trigg Centre, Blaengarw | History walk and talk by Gerald Jarvis: ‘The story of Daniel James’. The walk meets outside the William Trigg Centre in Blaengarw. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-walk-talk-the-story-of-daniel-james/ |
| Sunday 8th | 11am – 3pm | St John’s House, Bridgend | Open Day at St John’s House, the oldest habitable dwelling in Bridgend, with stories of a Victorian service maid. In partnership with CADW Open Doors. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/open-day-at-st-johns-medieval-house/ |
| Monday 9th | 3pm – 5pm | Maesteg Library | Lego Club – build a bit of history in Lego! | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/lego-club-ogwr-history-theme/ |
| Monday 9th | 2pm | Pyle Library | History talk* by Dr. Elin Jones: ‘Hanes yn y Tir, yn trafod yr hanes yn ein tir ni’. This talk is in Welsh. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/hanes-yn-y-tir-yn-trafod-yr-hanes-yn-ein-tir-ni/ |
| Monday 9th | 7.30pm | Three Horse pub, Cefn Cribwr (and online) | History talk by Rob Evans’, with Cymdeithas Hanes Bro Ogwr: ‘Travelling with Gerald of Wales 800 years ago.’ This talk is in Welsh, and is also available on Zoom. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/cymdeithas-hanes-bro-ogwr-travelling-with-gerald-of-wales-800-years-ago/ |
| Tuesday 10th | 11.30am | Pyle Library | History talk* by John Richards: ‘The Romans in South Wales’. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-romans-in-south-wales/ |
| Tuesday 10th | 6.45pm | Bridgend Library | History talk* by Martin Johnes: ‘Welsh Not: Education and the Anglicization of 19th Century Wales’. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/welsh-not-history-talk-with-martin-johnes-bridgend-library/ |
| Wednesday 11th | 1.45pm | Porthcawl Library | History talk* by Rhian Rees – ‘The role of women in Medieval Wales’. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/role-of-women-in-medieval-wales-history-talk-with-rhian-rees/ |
| Thursday 12th | 2pm | Pencoed Library | History talk* by Norena Shopland: ‘Women in Welsh coal mining’. A display on Welsh Pit Girls is on display all afternoon. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-welsh-pit-girls/ |
| Friday 13th | 10.30am – 12.30pm | The Mem, Nantymoel | History displays: ‘Glamorgan’s Blood’ and ‘Welsh Pit Girls’ mining exhibitions. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/mining-history-display-mem-in-nantymoel/ |
| Saturday 14th | 10.15am | Mawdlam | Kenfig Castle History Walk* with Graham Loveluck-Edwards. Traverse the lost castle and streets of historic Kenfig. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/kenfig-mawdlam-history-walk-with-graham-loveluck-edwards/ |
| Tuesday 17th | 7pm | Three Horseshoes pub, Cefn Cribwr | History talk* by Graham Loveluck-Edwards: ‘Historic pubs of Wales’. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-3-horse-shoe-historic-welsh-pubs/ |
| Wednesday 18th | 10am – 12.30pm | Y Nyth, Bryngarw Country Park | History displays: ‘Glamorgan’s Blood’ and ‘Welsh Pit Girls’ mining exhibitions. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/glamorgans-blood-and-welsh-pit-girls-mining-y-nyth-bryngarw-exhibitions/ |
| Wednesday 18th | 1.30pm | Y Nyth, Bryngarw Country Park | History talk* by Dr James January-McCann: ‘Collecting Welsh Place Names’, tracing the history and development of local place names in the Bridgend area. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-collecting-welsh-place-names/ |
| Friday 20th | 2pm – 4.30pm | Awel y Môr, Porthcawl | History exhibition by VisionFountain: ‘Behind the Picket Lines’. This is a multimedia exhibition about the 1984-85 mining strikes, and includes a virtual reality activity. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/multimedia-exhibition-behind-the-picket-line-aym/ |
| Saturday 21st | 10.30am | Bridgend and St John’s House | Bridgend Town History Walk* with Graham Loveluck-Edwards. Visit the landmarks and stories of historic Bridgend. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/bridgend-town-history-walk/ |
| Saturday 21st | 2pm | Bedford Park and Signal Box | Historic Walk and Talk with Cefn Gwyrd, in partnership with CADW Open Doors. The walk starts at the Bedford Ironworks car park and finishes at the Cefn Junction Signal Box. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/historic-walk-and-talk-with-cefn-gwyrd/ |
| Saturday 21st | 10am -4pm | Tabernacl Chapel, Porthcawl | Open Day at the Tabernacl Chapel Porthcawl, in partnership with CADW Open Doors. There will be chapel tours, children’s activities and a 1930s Porthcawl photo exhibition. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/open-day-at-the-tabernacl-chapel-porthcawl/ |
| Saturday 21st | 10am – 4pm | Tabernacl Chapel, Pontycymer | Open Day at the Tabernacl Chapel Pontycymer, in partnership with CADW Open Doors. There will be short history talks and history displays featuring famous people from the Garw Valley. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/open-day-at-the-tabernacl-chapel-ponycymer/ |
| Sunday 22nd | 10am | Starting from Bryngarw Country Park car park | History bike ride* with Amanda Powell and Richard Williams: ‘Coal and Community circular bike ride to the Garw Valley’ – please bring your own bicycle and safety gear. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-bike-ride-coal-and-community-circular-bike-ride-to-the-garw-valley/ |
| Sunday 22nd | 10am – 3pm | Y Nyth, Bryngarw Park | History exhibition: ‘Coal and community in Wales’ and mining displays. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-exhibition-coal-and-community-in-wales/ |
| Monday 23rd | 2pm | Bridgend Library, Bridgend | History talk* by Dr. Elin Jones: ‘History grounded – finding history in the ground all around your local area’. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-history-grounded/ |
| Tuesday 24th | 1.30pm | Pyle Library, Pyle | History talk* by David Pilling: ‘The revolt in South East Wales in 1294-5 – the actions of Morgan ap Maredudd and Meurig ap Dafydd, the Welsh leaders in Glamorgan and Gwent’ | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-the-revolt-in-se-wales-in-1294-5/ |
| Wednesday 25th | 1.45pm | Blaengarw Workmen’s Hall, Blaengarw | History talk* by Will Millard: ‘Hidden Wales – the stories of the BBC series’, including local stories and video footage. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-hidden-wales-by-will-mellard/ |
| Thurday 26th | 2pm | Pyle Library, Pyle | History talk* by Debra John: ‘Amy Dillwyn’, telling the story of the Welsh novelist, feminist campaigner and early female industrialist. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-the-story-of-welsh-novelist-amy-dillwyn/ |
| Friday 27th | 11am | St John’s House, Bridgend | History talk* by Phil Cope – ‘Holy Wells of Wales’, focusing one some of Wales’s secret treasures, its historic holy wells. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-holy-wells-of-wales/ |
| Saturday 28th | 11am-3pm | St John’s House, Bridgend | Open Day at St John’s House, the oldest habitable dwelling in Bridgend. In partnership with CADW Open Doors. With a special opportunity to meet the medieval archers! | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/open-day-st-johns-medieval-house/ |
| Saturday 28th | 10am – 4pm | Tabernacl Chapel, Bridgend | Open Day with Cymdeithas Hanes Bro Ogwr and Cant a Mil Welsh Book Shop. The day includes a local History Exhibition on Owain Glyndŵr’s Siege of Coity Castle, and short history talks every hour on the hour. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/open-day-capel-y-tabernacl-bridgend/ |
| Saturday 28th | 11am-3pm | Porthcawl Museum | Open Day at Porthcawl Museum, in partnership with CADW Open Doors. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/open-day-porthcawl-museum/ |
| Sunday 29th | 11am – 3pm | St John’s House, Bridgend | Open Day at St John’s House, the oldest habitable dwelling in Bridgend. In partnership with CADW Open Doors. Meet the Medieval archers. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/open-day-st-johns-medieval-house/ |
| Monday 30th | 7pm | Three Horseshoes pub, Cefn Cribwr | History talk* by freelance reconstruction illustrator Chris Jones-Jenkins: ‘An Introduction to historic reconstruction drawings in the Local Area’. This talk is in partnership with Bridgend and District Local History Society. | https://awenboxoffice.com/whats-on/history-talk-an-introduction-to-historic-reconstruction-drawings-in-the-local-area/ |
For any enquiries, please email history@awen-wales.com.
