Type Student residence Country Wales Opened 1895 | Town or city Cardiff Completed 1895 | |
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Address Corbett Rd, Cardiff CF10, UK Architectural style Gothic Revival architecture Similar St David's Hospital, Capitol Centre, Sherman Theatre, Royal Hotel - Cardiff, Barry Docks railway st | ||
Aberdare Hall (Welsh: Neuadd Aberdar) is a Grade II-listed Gothic revival hall of residence at Cardiff University in Wales. It was built at the end of the nineteenth century.
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Aberdare hall sleeping handsome
History
Aberdare Hall was established in 1883 by the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire (later University College, Cardiff, now Cardiff University) as a residence for female students. Its foundation was due to the efforts of Lady Aberdare (1827–1897) (the wife of Henry Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare) and John Viriamu Jones (1856–1909), the principal of the University College. There were few opportunities for women's higher education in Britain at the time.
The first building was Keswick House in Richmond Road, which opened in 1885 with nine students. The principals at this time included Ethel Hurlbatt, who later became principal of Bedford College in the University of London.
The current building was built 1893–95 and was designed in the Gothic revival style in brick and terracotta by W. D. Caröe. The original Corbett Road facade was asymmetic and a third gable was added after 1908 to make it symmetrical. More additions were made to the rear of the building in the early twentieth century. The library wing to the north-east designed by Verner Rees was built in 1939–40, and the garden wing designed by Verner Rees, Laurence and Mitchell in 1963.
It is still a female-only hall and provides housing for 125 female students.
Location
Aberdare Hall is in Corbett Road in Cathays Park, near to the Cathays district of Cardiff. It is the closest hall of residence to the main university buildings.