Gwyn Hall

The Gwyn Hall was a four storey Victorian theatre in the town centre of Neath, Wales, UK.

The Gwyn Hall was originally built in 1887 on land given by Howel Gwyn. The building was used as a music hall and also served as a meeting place for council business until the construction of the Neath Civic Centre in the 1960s.

On 26th September, a statue of Howel Gwyn was unveiled outside the hall. The positioning of the statue caused controversy at the time as it was thought that it would interfere with traffic. Subsequently in 1967, the statue was moved to its present position in the nearby Victoria Gardens. The statue pointed to Howel Gwyn's birthplace opposite the Gwyn Hall, which was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by a Woolworths.

While undergoing a £4m refurbishment in October 2007, the Gwyn Hall was destroyed by fire. The remains of the Gwyn Hall were later demolished. The local council intends to re-build the Gwyn Hall or build a replacement for it in the future.

References

* [http://www.neath-porttalbot.gov.uk/gwynhall/history.cfm Gwyn Hall - a brief history]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7052108.stm BBC: Blaze wrecks town's historic hall]