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The County

671

Former Tabernacle chapel of c.1850, converted to a theatre in 1912. This was done by adding a brick fly-tower to one side of the square-shaped stone chapel and a small stuccoed foyer on another side. The auditorium (approximately 800 seats in 1970) was square on plan and had an unusual five-sided balcony which may have survived from the chapel, with six steeply raked rows of seating. A short central section faced the stage linked by canted sections to side arms at right angles to the proscenium. The proscenium was an elliptically shaped arch with a cartouche above the centre. Original flat chapel ceiling. Between October 1940 and August 1943, the BBC's Light Entertainment department transferred to Bangor to avoid the Second World War bombs falling on London. The BBC requisitioned the County in 1941 and it was often used to broadcast recitals using a large cinema organ. After some time as a cinema and later a bingo hall, The County was converted to ‘The Octagon’ nightclub in 1987 which specialised in such spectacular lighting effects that it was necessary to install a separate generator housed in an extension at the right side of the facade, extending across the forecourt. The Octagon was converted to Peep Nightclub in 2012.

Built / Converted
1912
Dates of use
Current state
Extant
Current use
Licensed premises (Nightclub)
Address
Dean Street, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales
Further details
Other names
Peep Nightclub
Events
  • 1850 Design/Construction: as a chapel
    Unknown
    - Architect
  • 1912 Alteration: converted to theatre
    Francis Bergin
    - Architect
  • 1945 - 1970 Owner/Management: Leslie Blond, cinema owner
  • 1984 Owner/Management: University of North Wales, proprietor
Capacities
  • Capacity
    Original
    Description
    1200
  • Capacity
    Later
    Description
    1984: 343
Listings
  • Listing
    Not listed
Stage type
-
Building dimensions: -
Stage dimensions: -
Proscenium width: -
Height to grid: -
Inside proscenium: -
Orchestra pit: -