The Starlight Room and entrance block

A 1963-1964 dancehall with earlier entrance block of 1960 to the north.

MATERIALS: constructed of brick in stretcher bond with a tiled roof. The Starlight Room roof is covered in corrugated sheeting.

PLAN: the Gliderdrome is arranged as a series of single-storey buildings. The entrance block is at its centre with the 1963 Starlight Room located to its south, orientated north-south.

EXTERIOR: the entrance block with six glazed double-doors stands at the centre of the principal (west) elevation. The entrance is covered by a projecting flat-canopy with a series of glazing above and below. To the south of the main entrance, the link block meets the Starlight Room with a wide-arching roof.

INTERIOR: the entrance block opens to a lobby area with a tiled northern wall. The lobby leads to an entrance foyer with toilet facilities and a canteen beyond to the east.

The Starlight Room is accessed at the southern end of the entrance hall and is a vast double-height hall containing a large sprung, maple dancefloor with star motifs. The dancefloor measures approximately 90 by 50ft and can hold dances for up to 2000 people. A bar with timber cladding to the rear wall occupies most of the wall-space at the northern end of the hall, punctuated centrally by a stair to access the gallery above. At the southern end of the room is the stage with a circular revolving floor in situ, although this no longer functions. The stage partition to allow bands to set up discretely so that there was continuous playing of music has been removed. To the west, east and north sides of the room is a first-floor gallery with alternating bronzed lozenge-balusters. The gallery is supported by a series of slender piers with timber cladding. Original fixed bench-seating survives both on the first-floor gallery and in the seating areas below. Three open-tread stairs with matching balustrades provide access to the gallery at the north, west and east ends of the room. Accessed via the gallery, to the right hand of the stage, is a small control room at first-floor level with lighting and controls for the revolving stage. The backstage area with dressing rooms is accessed via the left hand of the stage. At the west end of the room doors access the low-ceiling Richmond Bar.

The Richmond Bar and the original dancehall to the north of the entrance hall which has been converted to a bingo hall are not included in the listing.