Oakdale Hospital

Cadw's description

Location

Set back from the main thoroughfare, on corner with Pen Rhiw Avenue. Stands on terrace with stone with steps to the three front entrances.

History

Datestone 1914. Associated with adjacent Oakdale Garden Village which was built for workers of Tredegar Iron & Coal Co, and Oakdale Steam Navigation Coal Co. Series of foundation stones laid by Miners, Directors of the Oakdale Colliery Co, Lord Aberconway, and Women of District etc. Oakdale Colliery opened 1907; it was planned by managing director AS Tallis as a giant colliery with its own model village for its workers, providing a high standard of living and varied amenities. Architect was A F Webb, brother in law of Tallis, who was also reponsible for hospital, institute (re-erected at St Fagans museum) chapels, hotel. Colliery Manager Major Hepburn was also an enthusiastic promoter of the plans.

Exterior

Cottage hospital in style of T Alwyn Lloyd. Red brick, freestone dressings (painted), roughcast, applied half timbering, slate roofs, mainly small-pane casement glazing. Central group of 3 gables, middle narrower gable slightly advanced with half-timbered upper floor, 3-light window and plaque, "Oakdale Hospital 1914", over stone Gothic style entrance doorway with floral decoration to arch wave moulding and hoodmould; boarded double-leaf doors. To each side broader gables with roughcast upper floor, 3-light window, and brick ground floor with 3-light stone mullion-and-transom window, leaded quarries to upper lights. To each side of central group, roof sweeps down, incorporating large hipped dormer, over verandah on wooden posts, broad cambered-arched window to rear, doorways to outer returns. Below most ground floor windows are foundation stones recording origins of building. To each end, advanced bay with half-timbered gable with billet moulded barge boards over tall canted bay window with stone mullions and transoms. Small modern extension to each end. To rear of centre, hipped slate roofs of service blocks.

Interior

Interior retains original plan of long bisecting corridors. Porch has wooden panelling, double leaf doors with coloured glass incorporating Art Nouveau motifs, also to side and overlights. Rooms largely modernised, but some fittings retained including wood panelling, wooden stair with pierced splat balusters, some original decoratively moulded doors and door surrounds.

Reason for designation

Listed as the best cottage hospital in South Wales, with interesting associations with the industrial and social history of the area.