Alhambra Cinema
36 St. John's Street,
Keswick,
CA12 5AG
36 St. John's Street,
Keswick,
CA12 5AG
6 people
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Alhambra Cinema (Official)
Additional Info
Operated by: Graves Cinemas Ltd.
Functions: Movies (Classic), Movies (Film Festivals), Movies (First Run)
Styles: Art Nouveau
Previous Names: Alhambra Picture Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
440176.877.2195
Nearby Theaters
One of my favourite cinemas in which to see a film, the Keswick Alhambra Cinema has been entertaining audiences since it opened in 1914 with 600-seats. It is the oldest continuously operating cinema in the UK. Originally it operated as a multi-purpose venue, but has spent most of its life as a cinema, except for the 1970’s and 1980’s when bingo was introduced. By 1969 it was operated by the Graves Cinemas Ltd. chain. Until the mid-1980’s it was still lit by gas.
Wonderful ornate red brick façade with Edwardian swags of fruit decorating the two story building.
Inside the screen has been brought forward to accommodate CinemaScope but the traditional stalls and single balcony remains with decorative bands across the flattened barrel vault ceiling.
Often threatened with closure, the Alhambra Cinema keeps surviving and has been updated with new seating and Dolby stereo. A film society arranges vintage/classic screenings on selected dates through the winter months.
It was run by the small Cumbrian circuit of Graves & Son until it was hit by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Following closure and refurbishment during the Covid-19 pandemic, it reopened on 15th November 2021 having gained a second screen with 29 seats, located under the balcony.
In one of Keswick’s prettiest buildings, the cinema since 2021 has been under new ownership and has been fully restored and renovated and now has completely new digital projection and Dolby sound systems. Family owned throughout its history the cinema is fully independent, and is privately owned and operated by Jonathan Moore and Graham King.
The seating capacity in the original front stalls and balcony is now a total of 153-seats and the second 29-seats auditorium beneath the balcony has enabled the cinema to runat a substantial profit for the first time in decades, enableing further investment and securing its future..
If you visit the Lake District a visit to the Alhambra Cinema is a must!
Contributed by
Ian Grundy, Jonathan Moore
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
The original seating capacity of the Alhambra Cinema was 600.
The cinema is now operated by R. J. Towers & Partners on a ten-year lease.
It has been refurbished with new seating and Dolby Digital sound.
New photos from 2006 can be seen on
www.keswick-alhambra.co.uk
An old image from 1973 here:
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Three more images (including interiors) here, from 1997:–
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A 1978 view here:–
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There’s an amazing Cinema of the same name at Penrith, Cumbria. It’s a very friendly and welcoming venue which I highly recommend.
They still run Fedi XT (70/35mm) projector in their biggest screen.
Ampex175; The Lonsdale Alhambra Cinema, Penrith has its own page on Cinema Treasures: /theaters/23497/
I can remember seeing a film around 1973/4 with my family..
at the Alhambra and to my astonishment had gas lighting !!!!
I saw a film here in the early 70s (cannot remember what) and was surprised both by the auditorium gas lights and the oversize seats at the end of rows (known as courting seats?) or am I thinking of somewhere else?
Keswick Alhambra was one of 925 recipients of the latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund announced last November. The £86,782 will go towards the recent £300,000 upgrade to the family-run venue which delayed its reopening post-lockdown. This included a second screen under the balcony of the 108-year-old building.More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-59345174