Top Rank Bingo Club
TOP RANK BINGO CLUB, CORPORATION STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1116707
- Date first listed:
- 29-Sept-1995
- List Entry Name:
- Top Rank Bingo Club
- Statutory Address:
- TOP RANK BINGO CLUB, CORPORATION STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2006-02-08
- Reference:
- IOE01/14720/36
- Rights:
- © Mr John H. Sparkes. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1116707
- Date first listed:
- 29-Sept-1995
- List Entry Name:
- Top Rank Bingo Club
- Statutory Address 1:
- TOP RANK BINGO CLUB, CORPORATION STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- TOP RANK BINGO CLUB, CORPORATION STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Taunton
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 22555 24520
Details
ST 22 24 SE TAUNTON CORPORATION STREET
(North side)
11/10006 Top Rank Bingo Club
GV II
Former Gaumont Palace Cinema, now bingo club. 1931-2 by W T Benslyn. Steel frame with brick cladding and Ham Hill stone columns, some travertine and Ancaster stone dressings in the entrance. Roof not seen. Rectangular plan, a large auditorium with single balcony, stage with flytower and dressing rooms, reached via single-storey foyer under former cafe, now offices.
Main elevation a tripartite composition, with three pairs of original doors reached via steps between Ham Hill stone columns. Three square casements in stone frame over, with sculptured panel depicting 'Love and Life entangled in the Film', by Newbury A Trent. Banded decoration to sides continues as cornice band. Original canopy has late C20 fascia over. The side elevation with small casement lights all set within bands of brick. Former stalls entrance to rear retains original doors and canopy, stepped arch panels and banded brickwork to flytower.
Interior reached via steps of Ancaster stone and travertine. Vestibule with original double inner doors, coved ceiling and small paybox in west wall over heating grille with fountain motifs. Foyer with coffered ceiling and extensive use of travertine as flat architrave surrounds to doors, openings and as surrounds to frieze of relief panels with nymphs symbolising land and sea, devised by A Hinton. Column bases denote staircases to either side, which lead via vomitories to balcony.
Auditorium now with additional staircase within, a sympathetic alteration. Broad proscenium with fluted surround, ante proscenium flanked by fountain motifs. These are repeated on a decreasing scale along the side walls, above frieze of intertwined frozen fountains which continues as balcony front. Ambulatory to sides and rear of stalls formed by columns with lotus-leaf capitals and with similar frieze. Shallow recess under balcony has fluted decorative ceiling. Principal ceiling with coved decoration incorporating ventilator within central recessed panel. Stalls now floored flat to above original level of stage. Flytower and safety curtain survive above false ceiling on stage, with dressing rooms to rear.
Included as an unusually rich and complete surviving cinema from the heyday of the 'talkies', this example is remarkably consistent in its use of moderne motifs and sculptural ornament inside and out.
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Listing NGR: ST2255524520
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 442854
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 22:16:45.
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