History

Blaenavon Workmen’s Hall, which opened in 1895, is the most impressive building within the World Heritage Site. Funded by the workers of Blaenavon, through weekly subscriptions from their wages, the Hall quickly became the centre of the town’s cultural life.

Its large auditorium was used for concerts, eisteddfodau, bazaars and political gatherings, whereas its library and reading rooms provided access to newspapers and literature, broadening the knowledge of the workers and their families. There was also a snooker and billiards room and a cinema or ‘picturedrome’, which provided recreation and entertainment. Recreation grounds were created by the Institute in 1921.

The Workmen’s Hall remains a much-cherished institution today. Run by volunteers, it continues to provide a range of services including concerts, a cinema, snooker and a museum which tells the story of the Blaenavon community.