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The Grand Pavilion

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The first Pavilion in Matlock Bath opened in 1884 on a different site (q.v.). The Grand Pavilion was designed by the same architect, John Nuttall, and opened on 30 July 1910. It was commissioned by the Matlock Bath and Scarthin Urban District Council as a multi-use building with theatre on the first floor, and assembly room/ballroom, pump room, council offices and smaller function rooms on the ground floor beneath. Externally the main elevation is of two storeys in modest classical style with central melon dome. The theatre is a flat-floored room, with raked proscenium stage. The roof is supported by curved iron arches, and the original proscenium arch, once covered by black metal cladding, is once again visible. As the largest venue of its kind in the area, it has been well used over the years, with many professional and amateur theatrical productions, as well as films, dinner dances, exhibitions and more. The ballroom on the ground floor is now home to the Peak District Lead Mining Museum, whilst the first floor theatre and facilities have use as exhibition and live performance space. The Save the Pavilion group was founded in 2010 to investigate the renovation of the building, and to return it to arts and community use. The Grand Pavilion Ltd was set up to oversee renovations and ultimately run the building as a Charitable Trust. In 2012 it was granted a three year lease by the Council and purchased the freehold in 2014.

Built / Converted
1910
Dates of use
  • 1910 : Multi-use building, including theatre
Current state
Extant
Current use
Arts Centre
Address
South Parade, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, DE4 3NR, England
Further details
Other names
The Kursaal
Events
  • 1910 Use: Multi-use building, including theatre
  • 1910 Design/Construction:
    John Nuttall (Matlock)
    - Architect
  • 1910 Owner/Management: Derbyshire Dales District Council (formerly Matlock Bath and Scarthin Urban District Council), owners.
  • 1912 Owner/Management: E Randle, manager.
  • 2012 Owner/Management: The Grand Pavilion Ltd, lessee
  • 2014 Owner/Management: The Grand Pavilion Ltd, owner
Capacities
  • Capacity
    Current
    Description
    400
    Comment
    estimated
Listings
  • Listing
    Not listed
Stage type
raked proscenium stage (rake 1:22)
Building dimensions: Theatre auditorium 23.5m long x 13.5m wide
Stage dimensions: D 7.6m x W 11m
Proscenium width: 7.2m x H 4.85m
Height to grid: -
Inside proscenium: -
Orchestra pit: -