Grand

The Grand opened in 1911 with a capacity of 500, reputedly constructed by roofing-in a builder’s yard. It was rebuilt in 1935 following a fire in ‘faintly Egyptian style’, and used as a cinema until 1968. The stalls were converted for bingo, and most recently it has been used as a bar/nightclub. A charming, intimate house. Much of the auditorium remains intact, including the balcony, ceiling, stage and proscenium, plasterwork and decorative metal grilles to either side of the proscenium. This could be a venue for live theatre in Banbury. The dressing room area would no doubt need renovation in such an event, but the popularity of bingo certainly preserved the auditorium, and indeed the theatre. The building is currently empty and planning permission for conversion to housing and retail use was permitted in 2014. A further scheme for conversion to flats was approved in 2017.