Paignton Picture House's spectacular revival unfolds

Paignton Picture House has moved several steps closer to opening its doors again for the first time in 20 years after several key aspects of the project were secured this week.

Set to open in the spring of 2025, the 1914 cinema was once a favourite haunt of Agatha Christie.

Having been closed since 1999, the reopening of the venue now forms a major part of Paignton’s Future High Streets project. 

Following a long and rigorous tender process, the Paignton Picture House Trust selected Plymouth-based Classic Builders SW Ltd to carry out the initial phase of the project.

Speaking on the decision, Paignton Picture House Trust said: “We are thrilled to have secured the services of such a reputable company, with an impressive track record of restoring historic structures.”

This initial phase of the project hopes to lay much of the groundwork for the later restoration. A spokesperson for Paignton Picture House Trust explained: "Phase One is the 'enabling phase' and will include a lot of important preparatory work: careful removal of features to be preserved, internal structural repairs, removal of failing plasterwork, creation of the new drainage system, and foundation piling. These works will provide a strong base from which we can build the reimagined Paignton Picture House.

"The seats have been taken into safe storage ready for restoration and reinstatement, and we are already discovering previously lost features – just this week we have taken down the modern screen and curtains, behind which we have discovered what appear to be the remains of the original 1914 screen configuration.

"And of course, this work is all happening due to us securing Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent in the Summer." 

AOC Architecture Ltd will be responsible for overseeing the project's contract.

Paignton Picture House Trust also managed to secure a further £250,000 of funding for the restoration of the cinema.

The funding was provided by Garfield Weston Foundation, a family-established grant-maker that supports a wide range of UK-based charities.

This money is added to the £3m already secured for the project, primarily through funding from Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport but also from organisations including Historic England, the Architectural Heritage Fund and Rosalind Hicks Charitable Trust

It’s hoped that the funding will allow restoration to continue towards a new cinema with a "flexible mixed-use space that not only celebrates local heritage but will allow more people within the community to become involved in culture and heritage".

Opened on 16 March 1914, Paignton’s Picture House is believed to be the oldest purpose-built cinema in Europe that's still standing. While many were built at the beginning of the 1900s, Paignton is thought to be one of the only ones to survive. The rich history of the building has been revealed throughout the restoration process, such as when workers uncovered an original mosaic floor earlier this month. Crafted locally over 100 years ago, the mosaic had not been seen since it was covered up in 1931.

The cinema closed down in 1999 after the multiplex cinema on the seafront, now Vue, opened its doors. It was then bought by Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway, who planned to convert it into a waiting area for passengers. However, the plans were shelved due to planning issues surrounding the Grade II listed building.

The fortunes of the Paignton Picture House changed in 2015 when a locally-run charitable trust bought the building thanks to a £40,000 grant from Historic England and funding from Torbay Council.

Now, work is well underway on the project, with the interior safe and open and the exterior of the building cleaned and repaired. The Trust hopes that once the full restoration works are completed, the building can become a community and cultural hub for Torbay, as well as a place for entertainment, enjoyment and learning. 

The Trust added: "This is very much the first phase of the rediscovery of the Paignton Picture House. We have been working hard to secure grants towards this project and now have the majority of funds in place, but there is still a lot of money to raise to enable us to move forward with the main restoration work. We hope this could start in Spring 2024 if sufficient funds are in place."