Chiltern Cinema

Opened as the Picture House on 15th September 1927 with Antonio Moreno and Alice Terry in “Mare Nostrum”. Noted cinema architects Julian R. Leathart and W.F. Granger designed a simple but stylistic Georgian style cinema which had muted traces of Egyptian decoration within the foyer and at the sides of the proscenium arch. Seating was provided for 500 on one floor (there was no balcony).

It was operated as an Independent cinema for all its life and was purchased by Beaconsfield Urban District Council in 1960 and a stage was erected so that the building could be used for occasional stage presentations as well as full time cinema use. They re-named it the Chiltern Cinema from 8th November 1963.

In 1978 the Council leased the building to the operators of the Plaza Cinema, Margate, Kent and they re-seated the cinema, reducing the capacity to 277.

The Chiltern Cinema closed on 28th September 1989 and became a children’s play centre, which today is called ‘Zoom’.

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