Description

MORECAMBE AND HEYSHAM

SD4364 MARINE ROAD CENTRAL, Morecambe 939-1/5/45 (South side) 07/10/77 Nos.207-214 (Consecutive) The Winter Gardens

II*

Theatre. 1896 by Mangnall and Littlewood. Rear elevations rendered, facade of red terracotta and brick. Slate roof. Facade has central doorway, and 6 shop units with some degree of C20 disfigurement but with some original doors and fascias. In front are cast-iron columns which supported a glazed canopy, now demolished. Above, the two 3-storey corner towers are linked by a glazed 1st floor arcade with balustrade and central projection. The towers have 3rd floor lunette windows, and shaped gables with finials. The wide central gable is set back and has a lunette below a stepped coping with volutes and finials. Interior: the richly-decorated entrance foyer has a mosaic floor, a ceiling of elaborate plasterwork, dark timber revolving doors, 3 box offices, and inner carved doors with leaded glazing. The walls are of terracotta and colured glazed tiles. Stairs rise to left and right and have marble steps, mosaic landings, glazed terracotta balustrades, and tiled dados. At 1st floor level the foyer to the circle is in a similar style, with a plasterwork ceiling and wall panels, and 2 flights of stairs leading to the upper circle. The auditorium has a plasterwork ceiling with arched ribs spanning the 118ft width and with richly decorated panels. The 2 tiers of balconies have raking seating and ornamented fronts. The procenium arch has an entablature, columns, and scrolled brackets, all enriched with ornament. It is flanked by 2 tiers of paired boxes with curved fronts. The earliest part of the Winter Gardens complex, originally the 'People's Palace', which opened in 1878, lay to the west of the surviving building and was demolished in 1982. (Bingham R: Lost Resort?: 147, 273).

Listing NGR: SD4309864383

External Links

• Morecambe Winter Gardens at Wikipedia
• Morecambe Winter Gardens official website
• Wikidata Q15256189

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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