Old School Tea Room

A former boys’ school in the valleys community of Pentre has been transformed into a fabulously-retro tea rooms.

Pentre Boys’ School opened in the late 1800s and continued to educate the young men of the Rhondda well into the 1970s. Now it has become one of the trendiest places in the valley to grab a cuppa and a slice of cake, or a breakfast.

Upon arrival to the tea room, you can enjoy the retro vibe, with all of the period furniture and décor recycled or rescued from landfill. Enjoy the nostalgia as you dine with ceramic fruit centrepieces (we bet someone’s nan had the exact same ones!), ornate lampshades and mismatched furniture that just seems to work!

Of course the delicious, fluffy cake slab with sprinkles served to many of us at school dinners is on the menu, as well as cooked breakfasts, toast and more.

Run by volunteers, the tea room is part of a wider community initiative to develop sustainability and reduce waste. People can browse the pre-loved items for sale and pop in to use the sewing machines to fix their own clothing for free.