Palace Theatre
30 Kirkgate,
Huddersfield,
HD1 2QT
30 Kirkgate,
Huddersfield,
HD1 2QT
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 42 of 42 comments
Its pleasing to see that the aforementioned planning application which involved demolition of the theatre has been turned down by Kirklees MBC (see planning website- link as above). Before this the developers had been asked to resubmit ammended plans incorporating Roland Satchwells frontage, these can be seen on the kirklees website, with drawings of it incorporated into the proposed department store. Perhaps this was a result of the actions of The Theatres Trust. Kirklees MBC planning commitee may be rather pleased that they now have an ‘excuse’ to reject a scheme that could have been seen as direct competition to their own- howver lets wait and see, the planners are to appeal acording to local press reports. Thanks (formally conran / out of circulation for a while!)
Great photos Ian, Iam sure that the boarded floor in the picture of the circle floor covers over where the open staircase from the foyer came up. Also your shot of the auditorium ceiling really shows up the deco details despite the fact that its painted black, you can see where the plasterwork has been removed from the top of the proscenium. As for your shot of the office with the hopper window, I think this is a section of the origional room , partioned off as an office during the bingo days.
Some photos taken in September 2007 here.
Exterior:-
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Interior:-
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purely for interest from -The Stage Guide 1946 compiled by A. W. Tolmie *just managed to get a copy!
“THEATRES, Palace Huddersfield. Prop. Macnaghten Vaudeville Circuit, Ltd, 27. York Street. Sheffield 1. Cap. stalls 394,Pit Stalls 199, circle 356, gallery 262. Twice nightly 5.45 and 7.45, No Matinees, Variety. No barring clauses. Stage< Pros. 33.5 feet, depth 27 feet, height under flies 40 ft. stage to grid 51.5 ft…Footlights four circuits… four floods on stage. One front of house following lime. Dressing rooms, seven single, two chorus, acc, 24. Band room. Orchestra pit Acc. 12. Resident orchestra 11. Microphone available. Entrances in front of pros. to apron stage.” Dont you just love it !
Thanks for the google pages tip conran.
I have posted a small gallery at http://cinesteps.googlepages.com/home
The current planning application has no library or other council service included. That was an earlier try on by the owners of Kingsgate. Kirklees Council has other plans…consider its proposed Queensgate scheme that has yet to be submitted for plaaning consent. The two schemes can be seen in direct competition.
or a personal message facility!
Conran – I am wary of placing an e-mail address on a public forum so I have set up this temporary address
.uk
send me a message and I can reply using a permanent one! I am by no means up-to-speed but I have been agitating regarding the Palace already.
thanks ken just hopeless at live links- dont know why this site dosn’t have a chat facility
Here is the link posted above by conran:
http://danielsonphil.googlepages.com/home
Thanks for the Scottish pics conran. I have some more pics that show other features. I will try to get them posted somewhere.
To be fair, The Avion is only a local listing by Walsall, not a national register listing.
The Theatre Trust have written to Kirklees Council’s planning service on the planning application. I have extracted part of the letter and reproduce it here:
8 August 2007
Former Palace Theatre Your ref: 2007/92060
The Trust objects in principle to the current outline application.
Although we understand that the building has been subdivided for nightclub use, it would appear that there is local concern about the loss of this well-liked venue for architectural, historic, cultural and community benefit. Furthermore, the submission is lacking the information that we would have expected to see for application of full demolition within a conservation area.
The Huddersfield Palace was constructed in 1909 as a music hall built to the designs of Horsfall & Sons, with decorative plasterwork by J Binns & Sons of Halifax. The original facade was in brick with stone dressings, with an iron canopy across the full width of the front. This building was internally destroyed by fire in January 1936 and substantially rebuilt for reopening at Easter 1937. The cream faience facade of 1937 faintly echoes the original and despite the change of use and the painting over of the tail windows, the present exterior is comparatively little altered. The auditorium is now flat floored and dominated by a central bar with seating at the sides and at mezzanine level. The dress circle is still seated and the upper circle untouched apart from the removal of seats. The stage has been opened out but the fly galleries remain, as does the grid. The orchestra pit has been boarded over and the dressing rooms bricked up (originally seven single and two chorus dressing rooms).
Although a return to theatre use may be unlikely, there is sufficient remaining of the 1937 building for this to be entirely possible. The fact that the building is on an island site adjacent to a major shopping and commercial development with good car parking provision is a considerable advantage. Certainly The Theatres Trust would expect there to be a Needs and Impact Assessment submitted for a building of this genre, particularly where there is clear local concern for the loss of this building for community use. Performing arts venues such as this are required elements of a sustainable community, providing social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits as well as regeneration. They make a major contribution to the vitality of town centres and are a significant element in a council’s cultural infrastructure.
In architectural terms we consider it to be valuable as a representative building of its time, and that it fits in well with the other buildings along Kirkgate. The fact that the building has a streamlined design gives the street visual interest, particularly when juxtaposed with the nineteenth century buildings. The facade and immediate return walls would be perfectly capable of being restored and incorporated into any redevelopment scheme.
The loss of historic buildings within conservation areas should be of concern to the Council; particularly where the building has a more unusual cultural history. We fail to see how the Council could consider an application for demolition without a parallel application for Conservation Area Consent. In addition, it appears that there is a public house (photo 7, Design and Access Statement) which is said to be statutory listed (paragraph 2.21, D&AS) with no concurrent application for listed building consent.
In the absence of parallel application, justification, Needs and Impact Assessment or supporting documents, we would urge the Council to refuse this application. The applicants should explore all possible options for alternative sustainable cultural uses for the theatre before considering an application for total demolition.
In circumstances where the building’s main interest appears to be also as a cinema, The Theatres Trust would refer you to the specialist expertise of the Cinema Theatre Association (CTA), particularly in this case where the building was adapted for cinema use.
Take up arms, or at least your pen, now.
OOPs please ignore my dead link. view the interior shots of The Palace Theatre taken 2007 go to www.scottishcinemas.org.uk go to UK section ‘Huddersfield’ ac/thanks to Gordon Barr.
These pictures show sections of the seating in the circle and gallery in the origional rose dubarry coloured velvet, detais of the ceiling plasterwork.
More scanned images /photos of palace theatre Huddersfield at
www.flickr.com/photos/11421799@NO3/tags/palace
Thanks for the information cinesteps, I have emailed Kirklees Council, The Theatres Trust & The Caseworker at The Twentieth Century Society basically ‘suggesting’ that the frontage at least be restored and incorporated into the new development. perhaps if a few other members write as well (if they havent already) it might help. Huddersfield has lost quite a few of its old buildings in the past through ‘lack of information and 'sneaky’ last minute demolition orders,including the ABC/RITZ Cinema on Market Street. If Walsall council managed to get Satchwells Avion Cinema listed last year- I dont see why a problem would exist here. It would also be worth English heritage taking a look at the auditorium ceiling which is intact and retains some interesting plasterwork together with the former circle bar (which is part of the frontage anyway) where the plasterwork features again). I believe that the plaserwork ‘roses’ incorporated an innovative system of conceiled lighting. If one takes a look at the Old Scottish Cinemas & Theatres.org website- which ironically has an English section- and look under Huddersfield
the webmaster took some good pictures of the interior of the building
earlier this year. I intend to ask his permission to feature these on this site when the picture facility opens again. In the meantime get wrting and take a look!
I bow to conranâ€\s knowledge from his interesting tour of the building. My recent tour was limited to the front half of the building including the dress circle and the gallery courtesy of the nice manager. If you get the chance to go – take a torch. However I am confident the owners were MacNaghten not MacNaughten.
The current planning application that calls for demolition is with Kirklees Council. Planning reference 2007/92060
It can be found at: www.kirklees.gov.uk/business/planning/Details.asp?ID=2007%2F92060
It is described as “Outline application for extension to existing shopping centre to provide additional floorspace (Class a1 and a3), basement car parking, servicing and associated development (Partly within a conservation area)”
Email your comments to .uk
Or write to
Steve Hopwood
Major Development Team
Planning Service
Kirklees Council
Civic Centre 3
Market Street
Huddersfield
HD1 2JR
I have been told Kirklees Council is consulting with the Theatre Trust on the listability of The Palace.
Don’t storm the Palace. Save it!
Having taken a look at the contemporary issues of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner can I clarify that the fire that destroyed the 1909 theatre was on 23 January 1936. The new theatre was designed by Roland Satchwell. It cost £45,000. It seems the owner was the MacNaghten Vaudeville Circuit Ltd. It opened on 1 March 1937. At the time it had 1,210 seats. The Kirkgate elevation is in a biscuit coloured faience. The large column windows are intact.
The Palace is a rare survivor of a Roland Satchwell theatrical execution. I believe the others are; the Avion Cinema(1938), Aldridge, â€" now a bingo hall locally listed by Walsall Council in 2006; the much altered Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (with Ernest S Roberts, 1935) and the former Chandos Cinema, Buckingham (with Roberts, 1933) – now a car show room.
There is currently a planning application submitted to Kirklees Council for the Kingsgate shopping centre that involves demolition of the theatre. Little remains from the 1937 interior design of Rose Du Barry. Facade retention would be desirable.
Exterior shot of the Palace here:–
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Thanks for that Ken- got my dates wrong i.e 1909 not 1904. Last went in the place after the Bingo closed and it was remarkably intact. Unfortunately I fear much of the interior was wrecked- when The Palace was converted to Chicago Rock Cafe, a friend tells me that all the Deco plasterwork around the procenium was taken off. It suprises me that so little local historic reference to the building when it was a theatre- perhaps the current Hudds University/LBT theatre archive project will unearth some more. I also hear that the building may be under threat of demolition as part of phase two of the Kingsgate shopping Centre.
The architectural firm of Horsfall and Sons were the designers of the Palace Theatre in 1909.