The Hippodrome

The Hippodrome is a circus building located on St George's Road in Great Yarmouth, constructed in 1903 by R.S. Cockrill. It is made of concrete, faced with brick, and features terracotta tiling on the east facade. The roof is covered with late 20th-century composition decking. The facade is slightly curved and consists of three wide bays, each with a large semicircular arch above a central entrance, flanked by timber and tiled booking office fascias.

Square towers flank each bay, with the corner towers featuring arched rusticated bases. The central pair of towers have arches supported by a pair of entactic columns adorned with stylised spear-head foliage capitals. Art Nouveau relief foliage patterns are present in the arch side panels. The side towers rise to a flat roof with a segmental parapet over a cornice, while the central towers develop upper angle vanes that rise into a circular drum with square openings beneath rusticated arches. The drum is decorated with relief mouldings of Art Nouveau foliage patterns and each central tower is topped with a shallow dome. The main cornice features a frieze of carved owls, and there is a segmental arch between the central towers.

Inside, the central circus area remains intact and is notable for being one of only three in the world that can convert into a pool. The seating and balconies have been renewed. The Hippodrome is also significant as one of only two surviving circus buildings in England, alongside The Tower in Blackpool.