Zoo Hippodrome, Circus And Grand Variety Theatre

A vast warehouse-like iron-framed structure with a partially glazed roof of industrial proportions and originally containing a zoo, roller skating rink and hippodrome under one roof. The remarkable enterprise, a fully enclosed entertainment centre, was the brainchild of the circus magnate and showman E H Bostock. The exterior was originally clad in brick with stone dressings with twin towers and onion domes at the entrances. Today, it is entirely re-clad in corrugated metal and the once-ornate interior has long-since been removed, so that only the frames remain original.