Old Theatre Royal
Old Theatre Royal, High Street, Chatham
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1268237
- Date first listed:
- 05-Oct-1988
- List Entry Name:
- Old Theatre Royal
- Statutory Address:
- Old Theatre Royal, High Street, Chatham
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-08-08
- Reference:
- IOE01/01271/25
- Rights:
- © Mr M.K Lofthouse. Source: Historic England Archive
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1268237
- Date first listed:
- 05-Oct-1988
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 07-Mar-1997
- List Entry Name:
- Old Theatre Royal
- Statutory Address 1:
- Old Theatre Royal, High Street, Chatham
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:
- Old Theatre Royal, High Street, Chatham
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Medway (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ7558367966
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 4 October 2022 to reformat the text to current standards
TQ 7567
762-1/4/14
CHATHAM
HIGH STREET
Old Theatre Royal
05.10.88
GV
II
Theatre. 1899, by G E Bond, damaged by fire c1965. Painted faience tiles and moulded decoration, yellow stock brick with red brick dressings and hipped slate roof. Free Italianate style with Moorish turrets.
PLAN: deep rectangular site with front foyer and rear auditorium at right angles.
EXTERIOR: foyer section two storeys; two bay range. Entrance has mid C20 altered ground floor, an open first floor arcade of two paired round arches with balustrade and enriched capitals, dentil cornices to ground and first floors extend to the right return, and a raised open pediment with a central plinth flanked by octagonal Moorish domes; behind the arcade are four round-arched casements as the front with moulded surrounds and glazing bars. The right hand return includes two first floor sashes and a central lateral stack with curved side supports and ball finials; behind are two further brick linking sections of three and four windows; the back of the large rear auditorium has a central square tower fronted by a pediment to the street, with a raking roof each side up to a tall hipped roof with square cupola vents over the proscenium, and a raking lower roof behind to the auditorium. Irregular rear elevation.
INTERIOR: auditorium has central dome with decoration of plasterwork swags and two tiers of balconies. The upper tier has painted plaster panels and moulded cherubs. The lower tier is much damaged but has a decoration of cherubs, swags and console brackets. The boxes have been removed and the proscenium arch blocked up. The balconies are supported on cast iron columns, but the ground floor ones are encased in concrete. No seating remains. The foyer retains one tiled panel, probably representing one of Shakespeare's female characters. Original staircase with twisted balusters and column newel. Former bar ceiling has strapwork decoration and coved cornice. Top floor retains some floral tiled panels and dado rail.
Listing NGR: TQ7558367966
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 462095
- 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 28-Jun-2026 at 01:37:52.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.