Hippodrome

A building of outstanding importance. There are only two purpose-built permanent circuses in Britain still in full working order and probably only four or five operational pre-1950 circuses in the world. The type was once common across Europe but is now rare everywhere. Those that survive are normally in other uses or are used infrequently for their designed purpose (e.g. Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, the Koninklijk Theatre Carre in Amsterdam and Brighton Hippodrome).

The Yarmouth example, like the Blackpool Tower Circus, is a true Hippodrome, whose traditional sawdust ring can be flooded for water spectacles.

Its terra cotta front is of three bays, defined by two short outer towers and two taller, domed inner towers with Art Nouveau ornament. It has a big lunette window to each bay. Cockrill had clearly absorbed something of the Matcham manner. The interior, however, does not reflect the splendour of Matcham’s Hippodromes or his Blackpool circus. This is a traditional, unadorned circus with arena seating round a 12.8m (42ft) ring, covered by a shallow arched roof.

Animal circuses are expensive to run and (apart from equestrian shows) tend to be against the tide of opinion of the present time, but circus now comes in many guises and it should be a matter of priority to keep this exciting arena with its water transformations at work. Apart from its mainstream uses, it has excellent acoustics for orchestral concerts (although the circus itself no longer has its own band). The stables and outbuildings are all intact. This is in many ways the most important entertainment building of any kind in (and for many miles around) Great Yarmouth.