In the early years of the twentieth century the need for coal was growing both in America and Europe, and local business men in Wales were looking for new opportunities to fill the demand.

[1] Among these were a group known as the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, made up of wealthy industrialists from the Maclaren, Markham, Pochin, Whitworth and Wyllie families.

They decided to create a group of collieries in the Sirhowy Valley, which explorations had told them contained rich seams of " black gold."

The houses would be modern, with hot and cold running water, large cooking ranges, electric light, and - perhaps most revolutionary of all - bathrooms.

It has been described by John Newman as "by far the most ambitious attempt by any mining company in south Wales to provide planned housing for its workforce.

In 1920 the village received a visit from Prince Albert, Duke of York (later to become King George VI) in his capacity of President of the Industrial Welfare Society.

Access to the area has been made considerably easier by the construction of the Sirhowy Enterprise Way, which includes the striking, cross-valley, Chartist Bridge.

According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the population of the Penmaen ward (which comprises Oakdale and the peripheral hamlets of Pen-y-Fan and Woodfieldside) was 4,478, of which 2,144 were males and 2,334 females.

Professional, technical, managers and senior officials account for 33.9% of the population, while 26.9% of males and 40.4% of females age 16–74 years (including students and the retired) were said to be economically inactive.