The Princess Theatre And Arts Centre

The Princess Hall was built in 1869 by a private company - the Market House and Town Hall Company - at a cost of £2,000. The hall was at first floor level, and the building was used as a covered market, Council Chambers, and even housed the town fire station on half of the ground floor. The auditorium had a simple platform stage and no real theatre facilities.

In 1994 Sedgemoor Council undertook major refurbishment works which involved an almost complete rebuild internally, at a cost of £670,000. The building was officially reopened by the Princess Alexandra on 8 June 1995. The first floor of the building was removed, leaving a spacious double-height ground floor auditorium. Theatre facilities were improved dramatically, including a grid above the stage, dressing room accommodation at the rear. The side walls of the auditorium are plain, with a single box at first floor level, accessed through the old entrance to the former upstairs hall. The raked seating was inserted using a retractable system so that it could be removed to use the auditorium for conferences and other events.

A new main entrance to the building was created at the side, under an original canopy. Within the foyer, the old staircase was restored creating access to a new bar and hospitality space.

From 2006 Sedgemoor District Council looked to find alternative management for the building. Burnham and Highbridge Town Council opened discussions with the district council, and successfully purchased the building - for the princely sum of £1! - on 1 April 2011. The building was renamed as The Princess Theatre and Arts Centre, to emphasise its new role in the local community, and refurbishment and improvement works are being planned over the next few years.