Cefn Cribwr

Cefn Cribwr
Population	1,546
Principal area	Bridgend
Preserved county	Mid Glamorgan
Land	Wales
Sovereign state	Vereinigtes Königreich
Postcode district	CF32
Dialling code	01656
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Bridgend
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Bridgend

Cefn Cribwr is a village about 5 miles from the centre of Bridgend, Wales. It has a population of approximately 1,546.

The village has good amenities including a shop, a Post Office, a grocery store, pub, garage, athletic club, sports ground at 'Cae Gof', two playground areas and 6 churches.

The new Bethlehem Life Centre (opened March 2005) offers a range of facilities to the village including children's and youth groups, a coffee shop/café, sports hall and Internet/computer facilities.

The community centre, locally known as the 'Green Hall' is the venue for many birthday parties and is well known by the pupils at Cefn Cribwr Primary School.

Bedford Park, found in Cefn Cribwr is now an area of 40 acres of ancient woodland and meadows, glades and open spaces. It was once an area of intense industrial activity following the building of a blast furnace here in 1780 by the Birmingham Industrialist John Bedford. He also sank pits to mine the raw materials of ironstone and coal as well as founding a forge and brickworks. The ironworks were never as successful as Bedford had hoped and began to decline after his death in 1791. Coal mining and brick making, however, continued throughout the 19th Century and industrial activity at Bedford Park ceased after World War I.

Cefn Cribwr Ironworks in Bedford Park is now protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is one of the most complete of its kind in Britain. Many parts of the ironworks and related buildings can still be seen.

The community walking and cycling route passes through the park following the line of the old Dyffryn, Llynvi and Porthcawl railway which linked the ironworks to the coast.

Bedford Park has Waymarked Nature Trails, Cycleway, Children's Play area and picnic areas and a carpark with toilets and disabled facilities.