Thomas le Despenser gave the area known as Kenfig Down to the burgesses of Kenfig in 1397 for use as a common to compensate them for the loss of their common land adjoining the town through sand incursion. The area was later divided into two; the burgesses retaining two thirds, the other third being given to the Abbot of Neath & attached to that Abbey's grange at Sker. Originally the down lay outside the borough but was brought within it when the boundaries were enlarged in the 15th century.

This came into being in the early years of the 17th century when the burgesses decided to move the centre of the borough from Maudlam. This new site was on the rising land of Paschal Hill immediately west of Kenfig Pool. The new town grew up along two roads that converged just north of the Prince of Wales Inn - the present main road (Heol Kenfig), the other (Heol y Lane) is the small lane now diverted to run across the front of the public house. The new town hall with a public house below was constructed in the angle between the two lanes; its present car park used to be the borough pound for stray cattle.

Kenfig Farm is situated on the main road (Heol Kenfig) immediately south of the Prince of Wales Inn and is reputed to be the oldest house in the village dating from around 1600 AD. The earliest known occupant is Lewis Aylward who can be traced as the owner of the property in 1651 - he was a descendant of a family that lived in South Cornelly in latter part of 12th century. This family became burgesses of Kenfig with one being Portreeve of the old town in 1400 - Lewis himself held this office on several occasions.

Partly due to a depression in the farming industry the farm ran into financial difficulty with much of the property mortgaged off to pay debts - by 1733 the farm had been acquired by the Margam Estate.

This property is situated further south along the main road (Heol Kenfig) from Kenfig Farm - a stone set in an outbuilding wall bears the date 1786.

The Old Pool Farmhouse is the only thatched building in the village. Indications are that it was built by the Earl of Pembroke between 1632 & 1655 and was attached to his Demesne Lands within the manor. (These were the fields owned directly by the Earl in his capacity as Lord of the Manor and comprised about 120 acres scattered throughout that part of the borough south of the river - these were never farmed as a single unit but rented enbloc to a single tenant who in turn sub-let portions to local farmers)

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Very little appears known of the early history of Penymynydd Farm. Formally known as 'Wadesland' it's mentioned in the Kenfig Charter of 1397 together with being shown on a map of Kenfig c.1592. It was owned by the Tythegston Estate and about 1790 the tenancy was aquired by Morgan Howells of Sker House who installed his eldest son Owen as the tenant.

In the 1980's the farmhouse was turned into a country club and then a night club. It was eventually acquired by the Sandville Self Help Foundation which takes its name from the Porthcawl Hotel from where it started. It is now known as Sandville Court.