Aberdare Hall
12 October 2010
Aberdare Hall today
Aberdare Hall, the University’s all-female halls of residence is celebrating its 125th anniversary this month. Blas finds out more about its history, the celebratory event’s planned and speaks to one of its former residents.
Listen to a podcast with postgraduate student Francesca Tuckerman, who lived at Aberdare Hall for three years.
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Opened in 1885, Aberdare Hall was the first university hostel for women in Wales and only the second in Britain. The Hall started off life on Richmond Road but demand for new places grew rapidly. By January 1895 the Hall had moved to the newly built home it occupies today – a grand brick and terracotta building on Corbett Road.
At that time, the women living in Aberdare Hall had their social lives closely regulated. For a while, picnics and theatricals were forbidden for the Hall’s residents but tennis was one area where, under careful chaperonage, the sexes were permitted to meet.
The mixed picnic at Caerphilly
In the summer of 1887, the students petitioned the Senate for picnics for male and female students. The Aberdare Hall Committee at first was minded to approve and the ‘mixed picnic’ at Caerphilly that followed was well behaved.
In 1892, a retiring Principal of Aberdare Hall wrote to warn her successor that the residents were in the habit of talking ‘too freely about men students on returning from College to meals.’ She continued: “I discouraged intimacy between my students and the men students and disapproved of their being invited to meet each other in Society. I do not however think that Mrs. [Viriamu] Jones and Principal quite agreed with me in this matter.”
Today, Aberdare Hall houses 131 women, and retains many of its period features. Surrounded by its own gardens, it is a popular venue for conferences. To mark the anniversary, commemorative pens and bookmarks are on sale in Aberdare Hall reception.
Architects sketch of Aberdare Hall
Aberdare Hall’s 125 celebrations: What’s on
Wednesday 3 November 2010: Celebration tea for the Aberdare Hall Friends committee and members of Hall staff
Sunday 12 December: Aberdare Hall Carol Service
Date to be confirmed: Traditional Christmas dinner for students
Thursday 3 February 2011: An evening with guest speaker The Venerable Peggy Jackson
Date to be confirmed: Aberdare Hall Spring concert
Friday 6 May 2011: Friends of Aberdare Hall AGM and supper
Keswick House, Richmond Road - the first building used for Aberdare Hall
Aberdare Hall: Did you know...
- Aberdare Hall was originally built in 1893, but was founded in 1885 by Lady Aberdare, the Presidents wife, to promote women’s education in Wales.
- Aberdare Hall is the University’s only all-female residence.
- In 1918, a new rule was introduced at Aberdare Hall; the young female residents were required ‘to refrain from making gestures at gentlemen of the Armed Forces who pass by the building.’
- A new wing was added to Aberdare Hall in 1935
- Aberdare Hall has three executive rooms: The Isabel Bruce Room ~ named after the first Principal of Aberdare Hall (1885-1887); The Joan Buckingham Room ~ named after the Warden of Aberdare Hall (1980-1997); and The Kathleen Ede Room ~ named after a member of Court of University College Cardiff Council (1963-1984)
