Abbeydale Picture House

This cinema was built in 1920 with late 20th-century alterations, designed by Dixon and Stienlet of North Shields. The building has a steel frame clad in white faience tiles on the principal north-west and north-east elevations and brick to the rear, with a slate roof raised at the south-west end to incorporate a fly-tower. The design is Neo-Baroque with Art Deco influences, and the interior follows a Classical style.

Plan and Layout

The principal frontages face north-west and north-east, with the main entrance at the north corner. Secondary entrances are located on both principal frontages. The auditorium occupies the centre of the building, with a stage and dressing rooms at the south-west end. Foyers and public rooms are arranged on the ground, first and second floors at the north-east end, along with an attic. The basement contains a snooker hall and bar, formerly a ballroom and billiards rooms.

Exterior

The building sits on a sloping site, making the south-east rear elevation taller with basement access. A small cupola-style vent with a shaped lead cap sits at the centre of the main roof.

The north-west elevation, fronting Abbeydale Road, has seven bays. The ground floor features a series of doorways, four with moulded surrounds and double keystones (one damaged); the doors are largely removed and boarded over. At first floor level, the bays are divided by partly fluted Ionic pilasters with a linking entablature that carries around the north corner and across the north-east elevation. Small square window openings with 3-over-3 sashes, moulded surrounds and double keystones appear in the first floor of bays 1 and 6. The rest of the first floor has nine-light fixed pane oculus windows with double keystones and decorative garland surrounds, with raised panels below. Decorative cast iron canopy brackets with rings survive below the first floor windows, though the canopy itself has been removed. A panelled parapet features a shallow segmental pediment to bay 6, with the fly-tower behind.

The north corner entrance has a curved corner with an altered ground floor entrance consisting of a large square opening to the left with later inserted double doors with integral fanlights, and an identical opening to the right with later inserted glazing. Three tall multi-paned round-headed windows with moulded surrounds and double keystones occupy the first floor. Two small square second floor windows with keystones and 3-over-3 sashes (some glazing bars removed) sit above the entablature, flanking a faience panel reading 'CINEMA'. The parapet was originally surmounted by an open balustrade, now removed and kept in storage. Behind and above rises a circular turret with squat Ionic pilasters separating triple-light stained glass windows, each depicting the Star of David, topped by a large leaded dome.

The north-east elevation has six narrow bays. The ground slopes down to the left. Faience tiles have been painted over at ground and basement levels. A doorway at the far left has a replaced door, originally accessing the basement ballroom, now a snooker hall. At first floor level, bays are divided by partly fluted Ionic pilasters; two at the centre are reduced to capitals only. A wide segmental pediment incorporating the entablature at its base sits above the three centre bays, with windows arranged symmetrically below on each floor. Paired multi-paned sash windows (some with altered glazing and bars removed) occupy the centre on each floor, flanked by single windows. The first floor windows are taller with plain surrounds and single keystones; the second floor windows have rounded heads (projecting above the entablature), keystones, and relief panels below. The remaining first floor windows consist of two small square windows with moulded surrounds and double keystones in the left bays and an identical window at the far right. A shallow segmental parapet pediment tops bay 1.

The rear elevations are blank to the south-west side. The south-east side has exit and loading doors, multi-paned and 1-over-1 sash windows, with some openings blocked up. Later ramps provide access to the ground floor level.

Interior

The interior features Classical style decoration throughout, including moulded cornicing and architraves, Greek-key friezes, decorative plaster cartouches and medallions depicting cherubs, children and Grecian female figures, wall pilasters, decorative plaster ceilings, and plaster wall panelling. Some original 4-panel doors survive.

The entrance foyer has altered ticket and sales areas, ceiling mouldings, and cornice incorporating egg-and-dart moulding. The original black and white tesserae floor with geometric patterned border is partly visible under later covering. The main stair in the north-east corner of the foyer rises from the basement (access now sealed off) to the second floor. A large former cafe and lounge foyer on the first floor above the entrance foyer provides access to the balcony. Smaller second floor rooms above (with some damaged plaster decoration) give access to the rear of the balcony. An enclosed small winder stair in the north-east corner off the second floor foyer leads to the plain attic (original projection and rewind rooms) with inserted suspended ceilings. The original fireproof projection room now has later plyboard wall panelling with equipment removed, though the metal box and hatches survive under the later panelling. Ventilation machinery survives in the domed turret.

The main auditorium has a barrel-vaulted ceiling with moulded ribs and coffering, and elaborate plaster decoration to the walls (damaged in places). A single curved theatre-style balcony extends across the north-east end and along the north-west and south-east sides, supported on square piers. It is partitioned at the north-east end and has a later suspended ceiling. Original seating has been removed from both the circle and balcony. Later partition walls have been inserted at the rear of the circle, along with a projection room. Secondary stairs occupy the south-east and south-west corners of the auditorium between the circle and balcony. The stage and proscenium arch are at the south-west end. A decorative frieze depicting Grecian figures is believed to survive above the proscenium arch under a later covering. A 1950s iron safety curtain decorated with local advertisements remains in place. Back-stage areas and dressing rooms have plain painted brick walls at the rear. The fly-tower contains a timber gantry and stair.

The basement has some later partitioning. The former ballroom, now a snooker hall, has a raked ceiling with ceiling ribs featuring plaster decoration, a replaced concrete floor, and later Art Deco-style coloured ceiling lights. Some original wall panelling survives on the south-east wall, but the rest has been removed. Later inserted bar counters are present. The billiards rooms have been altered. Stairs on the north-west side lead to the exterior, with some original panelled exit doors surviving.

History

Abbeydale Picture House was constructed in 1920 for the Abbeydale Picture House Ltd to the designs of Dixon and Stienlet of North Shields. The building was opened on 20 December 1920 by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield. The original seating capacity within the auditorium is unknown (the original plans were for 1,800, although such figures were normally exaggerated), but records show that in 1934 the capacity was 1,560. A ballroom and billiards hall were originally contained within the basement, and above the entrance foyer was a first floor lounge and cafe, both opened in 1921. The cinema also originally had an orchestra, which was replaced by a 'Clavorchester' organ (now removed) in 1921.

The stage was enlarged in 1928, the ballroom and billiards room were altered, and the dressing room facilities were upgraded in anticipation of introducing cine-variety. However, variety was discontinued following the advent of talking pictures in 1930. In 1949 the cinema was extensively redecorated, although it is not known what this actually entailed. A panoramic screen was installed in 1954, and Cinemascope was introduced in 1955 following the building's acquisition by Star Cinemas.

The stalls closed in October 1974 and the final programme was held on 5 July 1975. The auditorium was later used as a furniture showroom and warehouse, which ceased trading in 1991. In 1983 the ballroom was converted into a snooker hall and the original sprung dance floor was replaced with concrete. Since 1991 the building has been largely unused except for the basement snooker hall and bar.