Situated on a ridge on the Eastern side of the Valley, Oakdale was the home of the Waterloo Colliery (1908-1970) and Oakdale Navigation (1908-1989) which was the last Valley pit to close and ended an era which had lasted almost 200 years.The village of Oakdale is almost unique as it was one of the few Valley villages which was planned in construction, with houses,shops and amenities carefully sited some distance away from the Pit.
Visitors will notice the orderly fashion in which streets and houses were laid out - a complete contrast to the random arrangement seen in other Valley towns and villages.
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A familiar Oakdale scene with an 80 year time span. ( Mid 1920s and 2003 )
The corner building on the right still serves the same purpose as Oakdale Post Office.
The focal point of many Valley towns and villages was the local Miners' Institute ( 'Stute ) and Oakdale boasted one of the finest examples.Maintained by contributions taken directly from miners' wages,each "Stute" offered facilities such as reading rooms - where all the daily papers were laid out for viewing - Library, Billiards or Snooker rooms, licensed refreshment (bar) and usually a large function hall which could be used for a variety of purposes.
The Oakdale Miners' Institute was considered such a typical example of Welsh Valley life that it was dismantled stone by stone and reconstructed in all its former glory at the Museum of Welsh Life, St. Fagans.
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