It was a hamlet known as Bridgend up till 1810, in which year it was erected into a burgh of barony under its present name.
On the left bank of the river lie the suburb of Bridgend and Kinnoull Hill (729 ft.).
The charitable institutions comprise the royal infirmary,, in the Italian style, considerably enlarged since its foundation in 1836; the Murray royal lunatic asylum in Bridgend; the Hillside House in Kinnoull and the small-pox hospital.
Bridgend has a good market for agricultural produce, and is an important centre owing to its being the natural outlet for the mining valleys of the Llynvi, Garw and the two Ogwr rivers, which converge about 3 m.
There was no civil parish of Bridgend previous to 1905, when one was formed out of portions of the parishes of Newcastle and Coity.