Library of the Oakdale Workmen's Club, 2004

Miner's Institutes and Workmen's Halls were common features in the South Wales Valleys in the industrial era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This hall was built in Oakdale village centre in 1916. The funds for the building were loaned by Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, and were paid back by the miners over the following years. As with many of these Institutes, the hall provided a focal point for the community.

text (includng a great panorama) from: www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/panoramics/pages/welshlife_...