Hippodrome (Bo'ness)

• Theatre ID
  2362
• Built / Converted
  1912
• Dates of use
  • 1912 - 0: until 1970s, cinema with variety.
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Cinema (re-opening as cinema and heritage centre in January 2009)
• Address
  Hope Street, Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland
• Website
  • Scottish Cinemas

Details

Circular hippodrome with entrance pavilions at either end in typically Scottish debased Art Nouveau style. Harled exterior with cornices around shallow domed roof. First floor of main entrance with dome is a later addition. Interior is an amphitheatre with ring, altered to a cinema about 1916 then, from 1960s, bingo club. A remarkable and fascinating survivor which deserves to be restored as a matter of urgency, but, restoration should certainly aim to strip away the re-design aberrations which have spoilt the building's purity of form. Given that Bo’ness, with its successful steam railway and heritage centre, is promoting itself as a tourist mecca for West Lothian, the Hippodrome could surely find use as a multi-cultural venue-cum-theatre or a cinema, facilities which the town presently lacks.

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• Events
  • 1948 - 0 Owner/Management: Caledonian Associated Cinemas, owners; Louis Dickson, manager.
  • 1912 - 0 Use: until 1970s, cinema with variety.
  • 1912 - 0 Design/Construction: opened in March.
    • Matthew Steele - Architect
  • 1916 - 0 Alteration: converted to cinema (architect unknown).
  • 1924 Alteration: added box office
    • John Taylor - Architect
  • 1926 Alteration: alterations to roof
    • John Taylor - Architect
  • 1929 - 0 Alteration: alterations to auditorium (architect unknown).
  • 1930 Alteration: new gallery; new exit
    • John Taylor - Architect
  • 1936 Alteration: new entrance to Hope Street
    • John Taylor - Architect
  • 1970 - 1979 Alteration: converted to bingo (architect unknown).
  • 1912 - 0 Owner/Management: Louis D Dickson
  • 1930 - 1939 Owner/Management: Caledonian Associated Cinemas
  • 2008 - 0 Alteration: Major restoration and conversion to cinema and heritage centre as part of Townscape Heritage Initiative project..
    • Gareth, Jones, Pollock Hammond Partnership - Architect
  • 2006 - 0 Owner/Management: Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, owners
  • 2009 - 0 Owner/Management: Falkirk Council, managers (from re-opening in January)
• Listings
  • Grade A - [C(s) from 1.6.1979; upgraded to B 29.1.1990]