Newcastle (no, not that one)

AM visiting Bridgend, which is halfway between Cardiff and Swansea in South Wales.

The town was formerly dominated by the Newcastle, built in 1106 by the Normans as part of their slow conquest of Wales.

Newcastle gateway

The castle is very much in ruins, and so has the advantage of not being considered good enough to charge an entrance fee.

Looking back at the gateway from inside the castle

It would be easy to visit Bridgend and not know of the castle's existence, but there are signposts pointing you across Ogmore River.

Looking through the gateway to St Illtyd's Church

Little is known about the saint to whom the nearby Anglican church is dedicated, but he may have been a soldier who founded, or at least helped develop, a monastery and college in nearby Llantwit Major.

However the church was only named after Illtyd, also spelt Illtud, in the 16th century, having originally been dedicated to St Leonard, a Frank whose cult became popular in the 12th century.