Gaumont Bristol

13-21 Baldwin Street,
Bristol, BS1 1NA

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Biocolour Picture Theatres, Gaumont-British-Picture Corp., Ltd., Rank Organisation

Architects: Francis Thomas Verity

Functions: Housing

Styles: Art Deco

Previous Names: People's Palace, New Palace Cinema, Palace Cinema

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Gaumont Bristol

Originally opened as a music hall in 1892, it was known as the People’s Palace and was built for and operated by Horace Livermore. Livermore converted it into a full-time cinema from February 1912. From 1920 it was taken over by the Biocolour Picture Theatres circuit which became part of the Gaumont British Theatres circuit in November 1926. It was closed on 30th June 1927 and the auditorium was reconstructed behind the original facade.

Designed by noted architect Frank T. Verity it re-opened on 14th February 1928 as the New Palace Cinema, later named Palace Cinema. It was equipped with a Christie 3 manual 12 ranks theatre organ.

It was re-named Gaumont Theatre in 1952 and the auditorium was modernised in around 1960. The Rank Organisation closed the Gaumont on 15th March 1980 and it was converted into a nightclub. It has undergone several name changes in this use and was last known as ‘Creation’ which closed in 2016. In September 2019 the inside of the auditorium was gutted for conversion into student accomodation. The facade of the building is Listed and has been retained.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 9 comments)

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on July 30, 2007 at 3:28 pm

A vintage photograph of the Gaumont from the 1960’s:
View link

Ian
Ian on July 31, 2007 at 11:53 am

Photo from 2001 here:–

View link

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on December 3, 2007 at 3:06 pm

scroll down for vintage photo of auditorium:
View link

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on December 3, 2007 at 7:27 pm

Page 16 of brochure linked above.

nxylas
nxylas on February 2, 2011 at 12:26 pm

Anyone know the screen dimensions for this cinema? I remember the screen as being huge, but then, I was much smaller when I used to go there as a kid. I was wondering how it compared to today’s multiplexes.

Ian
Ian on August 25, 2016 at 1:43 pm

The former Gaumont is now closed and advertised “for sale” as a “redevelopment opportunity”

Photo (August 2016) here:–

BRISTOL GAUMONT

Conti
Conti on December 23, 2017 at 10:51 am

Large central cinema as I recall – saw many films in my youth ( 1970s ) and enjoyed its later incarnation as a nightclub ( Busby’s ) . Always enjoyed the junction between the local Bristolian accent and the term “Gaumont” which always sounded quite odd. Most recent use was as “The Sports Cafe” a sports themed huge bar hoping to catch in on the late 1990s sports craze , but that chain disappeared as quickly as it arrived .

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