Queens

The Music Hall formed part of the Corn Exchange, built under Barnstaple’s Markets Scheme in 1855, the large first floor room being so used. In 1897 the hall was redesigned with a stage and organ from Broadgate House, opening as the Albert Hall. The seating was removable for dances. It was used as a concert hall, theatre and cinema. During the Second World War, quantities of food were stored on the ground floor and in 1941 this caught fire and destroyed the interior. A roof was built over the ground floor and it became a restaurant for the remainder of the war. A stage was added later, and it was used as a Civic Hall. As part of the Festival of Britain celebrations, it was completely rebuilt internally, the whole forming The Queen’s Hall – a theatre and ballroom. The auditorium had a flat dance floor and a raked balcony with fixed seating. It became the largest municipally owned venue in the South West. Externally the frontage designed by Gould 100 years previously was retained and topped by a modern green-tiled roof. The main entrance doors were given by the architect B W Oliver in commemoration of his Mayoralty (1931-32). A hospitality suite was built and named in memory of the town's famous John Gay. The Queens is an impressive three-storey stucco Italianate building with two storey wings; round arched windows to ground floor; bracketed cornice, all well restored in 1994. The interior is now that of a modern theatre, with permanently tiered seating; the stalls are raked; the walls enlivened with panels of cherry and maple. A new box-office, exhibition area and bar completed the modernisation. The operator, North Devon Theatres’ Trust, entered administration in January 2017 and the theatre closed. The council has now brought in Parkwood Theatres to run the venue.