Afan Lodge Needs You! 

History of the Lodge: how we got to where we are now

The Afan Lodge, as it is now called, has a long history. Originally a Miners’ Institute known as The Duffryn and Cynon Welfare Hall and Institute, it was an activity centre and then a hotel.

The miners made sure the building had a solid start with a large public hall, skittle alley, billiards hall and library. It is where local boy Richard Burton began his illustrious acting career before gaining worldwide fame and fortune. The closure of the mines in the 1960s sent the institute into decline, in 2009 it was renovated and modernised to become the Afan Lodge Hotel, catering mostly to bike enthusiasts.

Ten years later in 2019, with the future of the Lodge looking uncertain, the Pen-Y-Cymoedd Community Interest Company (PyC CIC)  decided to take on ownership of the Lodge. We did this to safeguard its future as an important community asset, business and tourism destination.  After an exciting period of getting the Lodge ready for its re-launch with a light refurbishment and now under new management, we opened on March 13th, 2020 only to be forced to close a week later by the Covid pandemic.

It has been a tough year. August saw the Lodge open again but with fewer visitors than usual due to further limitations and understandably, increased public caution. Winter of 2020 was due to be our busiest period, but further lockdowns and restrictions hampered this again. The decision was taken to close the lodge, temporarily, to safeguard it for the future amidst the likelihood of further Covid restrictions.

What next

The Board is now looking ahead to 2021 with vigour. The aim is to re-open when possible as a hotel, with a greater focus on the local community events and hospitality, while continuing to welcome a wide range of overnight guests. Safeguarding the Lodge as a business and unleashing its potential to expand its offering reflects the value PyC CIC places upon the need to secure quality visitor accommodation in the Afan Valley, as a cornerstone of further economic development in the area.

The Afan Lodge has been a long-standing employer in the community and we are committed and looking forward to making positive changes for the future benefit of the business, local community, and the Afan Valley.

To make this community asset the vibrant success we all want it to be, we need support, ideas and engagement from you in the local community.  We invite you to help us along with the next phase of our journey by sharing your views in our short Community Survey.

We look forward to hearing your views and ideas, and also hopefully being able to welcome you at the Lodge for Sunday lunch, evening meals or coffee and cake sometime soon.

Dave Henderson on behalf of the Directors of Afan Lodge

Please Click The Link Below To Complete The Survey