Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club

Pontyclun Institute and Athletic Club comprises of a main building with bowling green and car parking behind. It can be found on Castan Road in Pontyclun.

The institute was built by Godfrey Clark in 1910 to help enrich the social and cultural lives of the residents. Godfrey Clark was the son of George Clerk the Ironmaster who built Talygarn House. He was an industrialist, Justice of the Peace and High Sherriff of Glamorgan in 1897.

During the First World War the institute was used as a temporary hospital. Information about its role as a WW1 hospital can be found here

By 1941 it had acquired a bowling green and tennis courts and in the the late 1950’s the Institute had fallen on lean times and a decision was taken to rename it the Pontyclun Athletic Club, which would cater for soccer, rugby and cricket as well.

The modern day car park occupies the site of the original tennis courts.

For more information about the history of the community of Pontyclun please visit our online museum