St John's Rooms

• Theatre ID
  780
• Built / Converted
  1910
• Dates of use
  • : late C18; 1910-14; 1970s
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Religious centre (church)
• Address
  Broadway, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9BB, England
• Website
  • http://www.stjohnshouse.org.uk

Details

Ostensibly a two-storey building with imposing Georgian façe. It is believed that a building existed on the site in Saxon times, though evidence is not conclusive. The ground floor consists of a complete twelfth century hospital ward, and fragments of adjoining chapel and kitchen, having been two wards, and two chapels, one for men, one for women, later altered and expanded. In 1751 an Assembly Room was added at first floor level, lowering the ceiling of the hospital, and adding the façe seen today. Between 1788 and 1845 almost every prominent musician including Paganini and Liszt played there and theatricals were presented. It is not known how large the stage was. Splendid plasterwork remains, and the portraits from the panels are now displayed in the Guildhall opposite. The building later variously served as a Town Hall and a Courthouse. From 1900, possibly, pictures were shown and in 1910 the hall was leased by John and James Simpkins (who later leased the Regent and the Market Hotel, later Theatre Royal), and converted for cinéariety. Projection ports from this era remain. Many uses followed (for some time it was the home of the Attic Theatre Company), and in 1993 it was leased and restored by Immanuel Church.

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• Other names
  Palace Picture House
• Events
  • Use: late C18; 1910-14; 1970s
  • 1309 Design/Construction: built for the Knights of St John
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1751 Alteration: roof raised to accommodate Hall, used for banquets and entertainment
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1910 Alteration: converted to ciné-variety theatre
    • Unknown - Architect
  • Owner/Management: Trustees of St John’s Hospital, owners
  • 1910 Owner/Management: John & James Simpkins, owners
  • 1987 Owner/Management: First Leisure
  • 1993 Owner/Management: Immanuel Church, lessee
• Listings
  • Grade I - 24.3.1950