Cordell Museum

The museum holds a collection of local objects which tell the fascinating history of the town of Blaenavon and its residence from the early days of the industrial revolution through to the modern day inscription as a World Heritage Site. The museum holds and displays numerous items relating to the community from local industrial archaeological, historic photographs, furniture, coins and military uniforms.

The museum also has on display some personal effects of the famous writer Alexander Cordell which were acquired following his death in 1997. Cordell was one of Wale’s most prolific writers who took his inspiration for much of his writing around the people and places in South Wales, in particular Blaenavon. The town and the surrounding area was the setting for his most famous novel Rape of the Fair Country through which he immortalised the people who lived and worked in the area during the Industrial Revolution. 

The museum also acts as a large family history archive which is an invaluable source for anyone tracing their Blaenavon ancestors. The museum holds approximately 7,500,000 records including census records for the years 1841, 1851, 1871, 1881 and 1891, trade directories, records of Colliery Accidents and a book of remembrance of Blaenavon’s fallen heroes of the Boer war, World War One, World War Two, Korea and Northern Ireland.

In 2004 an educational school project World War Two: The Blaenavon Experience was launched to give primary school children in the area the chance to experience life for children during the Second World War. The project has been hugely successful and is hoped to be extended to cover schools over a larger area in the near future. Please contact the museum for further details

The Blaenavon Community Heritage & Cordell Museum is situated at the top end of the town centre adjoining the Lion Street Car Park in the lowers floor of the Blaenavon Library building.