Gwyn Hall
Encyclopedia
The Gwyn Hall was previously a four-storey Victorian
theatre
in the town centre
of Neath
, Wales
, UK
, and is currently being reconstructed.
on land given by Howel Gwyn. The theatre was built by English architect John Norton
at a cost of £6,000, who had also built the church, St David's, which sits on the other side of the road. 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. Classical concerts were held at the hall, including a performance of Handel's Messiah, upon receiving an organ given by the widow of Howel Gwyn in November 1889.
On 26 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
.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in the town centre
Town centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
of Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and is currently being reconstructed.
Original Construction
The Gwyn Hall was originally built in 18871887 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1887 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales — The Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom*Princess of Wales — Alexandra of Denmark...
on land given by Howel Gwyn. The theatre was built by English architect John Norton
John Norton (architect)
John Norton was an English architect who designed country houses, churches and a number of commercial buildings. He was born and educated in Bristol...
at a cost of £6,000, who had also built the church, St David's, which sits on the other side of the road. The building was used as a music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
and also served as a meeting place for council business until the construction of the Neath Civic Centre in the 1960s. Classical concerts were held at the hall, including a performance of Handel's Messiah, upon receiving an organ given by the widow of Howel Gwyn in November 1889.
On 26 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
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
.
Fire and Reconstruction
While undergoing a £4m refurbishment in October 2007, the Gwyn Hall was almost destroyed by fire. The hall is now undergoing extensive reconstruction and modernisation with work due for completion in 2011. Plans for the theatre include a cinema, a public café bar, a new theatre with retractable seating, and a flexible studio space and possibly an ice rink.External Links
- 'Gwyn Hall - a brief history', Neath Port Talbot Council.