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Summary

Cinema built in 1931, consisting of an auditorium with a gallery, now converted to two separate floors, and a front section with foyers on both levels.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CINEMA (Built, Early 20th Century - 1931 AD to 1931 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1930 - 1939, Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV336668.

'Picture Theatre' shown.

English Heritage, 1995, Draft List Review: Barnstaple Vol No 684-1, District: North Devon (Correspondence). SDV351278.

Please note that the Astor Cinema, Nos 76-77 Boutport Street, has been recommended for delisting, partly because the interior has been altered and has no surviving features of interest, and partly because the exterior is not of sufficiently high quality.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Department of Environment, 29/09/1988, Barnstaple Re-Survey (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV59491.

Cinema, 1931, by WH Watkins of Bristol; masks by Eric Aumonier. Red brick, the front with blue headers. Front slope of roof covered with green glazed 'Cloister' tiles.
Plan consists of auditorium with gallery, now converted to two separate floors. Front section with foyer on both levels.
Two-storeyed front having wide frontspiece flanked by broad, paired pilasters of moulded brick, the shafts with a series of three-quarter-round vertical mouldings and carved stone capitals; coved cornice above. Frontspiece altered in ground storey with later canopy, although the four pairs of glazed double doors may be original. Upper storey has rectangular moulded stone surround and is divided into three bays by fluted stone pilaster-strips with grotesque masks at the top. Metal framed windows with margin-panes in the bay, each window with a panel of close-set vertical brick uprights above, in the manner of a grille. Brickwork flanking the pilasters is plain, except for a small (original) shop front (presumably) intended for a sweet shop. In ground storey to left; this has a moulded architrave enclosing a pair of display windows with glazed door in centre, the windows with decorated iron grilles at the top.
Interior has been altered, but retains some of its original decoration, both in the foyers and staircase, and in the auditorium. The latter has pilasters concealed by later hangings and decoration over the proscenium arch.
The cinema was originally built for the Gaumont British Company and opened as the Gaumont Palace on 3 August 1931. It occupies the site of the former Theatre Royal.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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