Wednesday 20 November 2024 marked an historic day for the people of Maesteg and the wider Llynfi Valley, as Maesteg Town Hall officially opened its doors to the public, following a highly ambitious, multi-million-pound redevelopment project delivered by Bridgend County Borough Council and its partners at Awen Cultural Trust.

The Grade II listed building, originally built in 1881, has been returned to its former glory and now boasts additional features including a new glass atrium, library and heritage centre, studio theatre and cinema space, along with a café and mezzanine bar. The main auditorium has been fully restored to become a multi-functional performing arts venue, including a stage lift, dressing rooms and a bar. The balcony has also been retained and refurbished.  The two areas of the building are linked by a modern glazed atrium and foyer fronting Talbot Street. 

Maesteg Town Hall has been the cultural heartbeat of the Llynfi Valley for over 140 years. C.R.M. Talbot, the second longest serving MP in the nineteenth century, laid the foundation stone in October 1880. He donated £500 – the equivalent of over £77,000 in 2025 – towards the building fund. The miners of the valley levied a day’s wages towards the cost of completion. Maesteg Town Hall opened its doors for the first time in 1881. It was remodelled just before World War One and was Grade II listed in the 1980s. The preservation of the building’s architectural heritage features, such as the brick archways, tiling, cornicing and columns were a key part of the redevelopment project.

Historic paintings from Christopher Williams have also been restored and are now back on display in the main hall. Williams was born in 1873 and brought up in Commercial Street, Maesteg by his father, the local grocer Evan. Described by the Prime Minister David Lloyd George as “one of the most gifted artists Wales has produced”, Williams died in 1934, on the day that two of his paintings ‘Paolo and Francesca’ and ‘The Artist’s Father’ were formally presented to the Town Hall by his son Gwyn.

The project was delivered by Bridgend County Borough, working in collaboration with Awen Cultural Trust, Knox and Wells Ltd, Purcell architects and Mace Ltd to bring to fruition one of the biggest investments in Maesteg in decades. Funding was received from Welsh Government’s Building for the Future Programme, Communities Facilities Programme, Valleys Task Force and the European Regional Development Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Maesteg Town Council and the Margaret Davies Trust to deliver a venue that will continue to inspire, engage, educate and entertain for generations to come.