The building has a long and fascinating history
Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development(Image: Knowsley Council)
A “rare and iconic” Merseyside cinema and music hall has undergone an extraordinary transformation 67 years after the theatre closed its doors. The former Prescot Picture Palace is one of the most historic buildings in the town.
The former Picture Palace is now the 26th historic building in Prescot town centre to benefit from restoration work as part of Knowsley Council’s wider regeneration programme for the town. The Grade II listed site is a rare example of its type and was one of the earliest cine-variety houses in the country.
The renovation work has been jointly funded by Historic England and Knowsley Council as part of the Prescot Heritage Action Zone project and includes a comprehensive restoration of the external areas of the building. The work has maintained and upgraded the original aesthetic and utilised traditional methods such as the re-rendering and painting of the chimney stacks with lime-based materials.
The work also involved the removal and replacement of all roof slates, cast iron rainwater goods, new windows and shop fronts – all reflecting what would have been originally installed. The new entrances have been tiled with olde English tiles and the new stain glass window mirrors the original Picture Palace stained glass and was developed using historic photographs.
Prescot Picture Palace before renovation(Image: Copyright Unknown)
The former Prescot Picture Palace Cinema on Kemble Street was established in 1912 and served as a picture-drome, music-hall and Variety Theatre. In 1957 the cinema closed and its auditorium seating was placed into storage before the building became a carpet and furniture warehouse until the mid-1970s.
Around 1975, former shops on Kemble Street were purchased by Tudor Bingo and incorporated into the cinema building. Subsequent development work included the creation of internal access between the newly purchased buildings and the former cinema and the removal of the cinema entrance entablature for a fascia sign. Internally, the east arm of the balcony was extended to the south end of the auditorium, over the stage and beneath the proscenium arch.
Coral Bingo took over the bingo club in the late 1980s and established a social club, with the loss of the shop front to number 10 for the insertion of two ground floor windows. In 1995 the buildings were purchased by Prescot Community Church (an Elim Pentecostal Congregation), who remained in residence until 2021 before Knowsley Council acquired the building as part of Prescot’s High Street Heritage Action Zone.
Prescot was selected as one of the 68 high streets to benefit from the High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme in 2020 and the £3.1m heritage-led regeneration programme has seen major investment from Knowsley Council and Historic England into a number of projects in Prescot town centre.
Former Prescot Picture Palace Restored(Image: Knowsley Council)
Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said: “The restoration of the former Prescot Picture Palace building is the single biggest project the council has undertaken as part of our successful High Street Heritage Action Zone project here in Prescot.
“The architectural heritage and cultural history of this iconic building is incomparable, and I am delighted that we have been able to safeguard this building and its heritage for many more years to come.”
Knowsley Council is now working to secure future investment for the former Picture Palace building to bring the space into use and to support the continued regeneration and transformation of Prescot town centre. The local authority have confirmed the windows will now be boarded to protect them from any damage whilst the building is unoccupied.