History of the Hall
Photograph of Tylorstown Welfare Hall and Institute, n.d.
A Reading Room and Institute was opened in No. 1 Commercial Buildings, Tylorstown in 1902. The existing building, Tylorstown Welfare Hall and Institute, was built in 1933 financed by the Miners' Welfare Fund and donations from workers' wages, colliery companies and the public. The building's original purpose was to provide a place for a wide range of recreational activities - the basement contained a library, reading room, snooker and games room and has always been used as a meeting place for local organisations. On the upper two floors, there is an auditorium providing a large dance and entertainment space, which was also used as a cinema. The original projectors are still in place and people repeatedly ask for its reintroduction.
The Hall has a Grade II listing and is the last remaining Miners' Welfare Hall in the Rhondda Fach. Regular contributions from the wages of local miners helped build and run institutes like Tylorstown Welfare Hall.
Photograph of Tylorstown Welfare Hall and Institute, n.d.
According to local resident Tony Maz and former employee Betty Gosling, the hall's exterior was quite special in its day:
"It [the hall] looked a rather awesome building from the outside. It certainly had a very auspicious look to it. It stood out from all the other buildings that were around and had been built in that period... It certainly stood out" - Tony Maz.
"Outside they used to have neon lights, red and green, and there was a big clock which you could tell the time from both sides. That was good. People used to like that because if they were waiting for a bus or something, they'd have a look at the clock" - Betty Gosling.
Photograph of Tylorstown Welfare Hall and Institute, n.d.
The legacy of the coal mining industry is deep rooted within the culture of Tylorstown, and for nearly 90 years, the Hall has been at the heart of the community, bringing people together. In recent years the local library and youth facility have closed, and so the building is as important today as it was in 1933.
The Hall's records, a selection of which are provided below, give an indication of just how important the Hall has been to the community over the years and how the support of the local public has ensured its continued success.
