Based in the magnificent Workmen’s Hall and run by a team of friendly volunteers, the Blaenavon Community Museum celebrates the proud cultural heritage of Blaenavon and the south Wales coalfield.
The museum displays a variety of exhibitions that help explain Blaenavon’s society in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Displays include artefacts relating to:
- Recreation, Sport and Leisure
- Churches and Chapels
- Choirs and Music
- Trade Unionism
- Friendly Societies
- Shops and Businesses
- Local War Heroes
- Local Schools
The museum also boasts a collection relating to the Kennard family, who served as Directors of the Blaenavon Iron and Coal Company during the 19th century. Members of the family were influential figures in the iron industries of Great Britain and continental Europe.
Also on display are the personal effects of the famous novelist Alexander Cordell (1914-1997), author of the international bestseller Rape of the Fair Country (1959).
The museum has an extensive family and local history archive. Research can be arranged in exchange for a donation. The volunteers also hold FREE weekly family history sessions in conjunction with the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre and Library (Thursdays, 10am-1pm).
Opening outside normal hours may be arranged, depending on the availability of the volunteers