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Summary

Originally built as part of a corn exchange in 1855; the first floor room being used as a music hall. It was destroyed by fire during the Second World War. The ground floor was roofed over and used as a restaurant. It was completely rebuilt internally as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations in the 1950s, becoming a theatre and ballroom. The interior was modernised in the 1990s.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1354916
• Pastscape: 1354916

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• THEATRE (Built, XIX - 1855 AD to 1855 AD)

Full description

University of Southampton, 2018, North Devon Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment, FID 3718 (Interpretation). SDV361978.

The National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) records 'Queen's Theatre' built 1855, formerly the Corn Exchange.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Queen's Theatre marked.

National Monuments Record, 2019, Pastscape, 1354916 (Website). SDV362732.

The corn exchange was built under Barnstaple's Market Scheme in 1855, to the designs of R G Gould. The large first-floor room was used as a music hall. In 1897 the hall was redesigned by Owen Davis with a stage and organ from Broadgate House, opening as the Albert Hall. During the Second World War, quantities of food were stored on the ground floor and in 1941 these caught fire and destroyed the interior. A roof was built over the ground floor and it became a British Restaurant for the remainder of the war. As part of the Festival of Britain celebrations, it was completely rebuilt internally, the whole forming the Queen's Hall - a theatre and ballroom. Externally the Gould designed frontage was retained and topped by a modern green tiled roof. It is a three-storey stucco Italianate building with two-storey wings. In 1994 the interior was extensively modernised along with new stage facilities and dressing rooms. (Information from: John Earl and Michael Sell, 2000, The Theatres Trust Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950 A Gazetteer and www.northdevontheatres.org.uk)

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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