Report - The Picture House - Rawtenstall, Lancashire - Jan 2025

[MK83]

The Picture House was opened on 29th December 1920, the first films shown were “The River’s End” and “The Cruise of the Make Believes”. Inside the auditorium seating was provided for 1,309 in stalls and circle levels.

In 1960 it was taken over by the Star Cinemas chain until 1975 when it was bought by the Unit Four Cinemas chain, and the cinema was split into 4-screens, seating 121, 118 & 165 & 118. It was re-named Unit Four Cinemas.

It was closed on 10th May 1984 and reopened by an independent operator, but operating just one 121 seat screen and a snooker club. Two further changes of operator followed and it finally closed in early-1996.

The building was converted into an indoor market and a snooker club eventually closing for good in 1998.

Explore - We have attempted this a couple of times over the past few years with no success but noticed it crop up recently so thought we'd re-visit. There isn't a lot to it so this is quite a short report but there's some nice art deco features remaining. The place is caked in pigeon crap and doesn't make for the most pleasant explore!

Thanks for looking.

 

[Speed]

Nice one. Saw some shite pictures of this posted recently but these are much better quality. It's a bit better in there than I was thinking tbh. I dont quite get the layout. I thought this was all built in the auditorium and the balcony level was modern but apparently not from the old photo!? Is there more you didn't photograph and this is just the foyer?

 

[MK83]

Nice one. Saw some shite pictures of this posted recently but these are much better quality. It's a bit better in there than I was thinking tbh. I dont quite get the layout. I thought this was all built in the auditorium and the balcony level was modern but apparently not from the old photo!? Is there more you didn't photograph and this is just the foyer?

Your correct it was all built in the auditorium. The second old photo is from a newspaper article in the 1990's when it was converted into a shopping arcade although it looks old and confused us initially. There isn't much else to it that we didn't photograph, just empty side rooms, sadly very little is left from its original purpose. Not that great as far as cinema's go but we thought it worth recording before it's re-developed.

 

[Speed]

Ahh I see!

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Some lovely features in there. I worked on a renovation of an old theatre in Hull a decade ago now and it had very similar details and quite similar inverted pyramid style lights in the foyer. Nice report!

 

[MK83]

Some lovely features in there. I worked on a renovation of an old theatre in Hull a decade ago now and it had very similar details and quite similar inverted pyramid style lights in the foyer. Nice report!

Thanks, the lights are very 90's/00's trying to be art deco!

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Thanks, the lights are very 90's/00's trying to be art deco!

One of the jobs I had to do was recondition the many metal frames and replace the coloured glass sections like for like with coloured acrylic. When they’re not hanging from a ceiling they’re big enough!

 

[UrbandonedTeam]

So nice, lost count of the visits here!

 

[Calamity Jane]

Lovely building. Lots of great features. Great photos too.

 

[MK83]

One of the jobs I had to do was recondition the many metal frames and replace the coloured glass sections like for like with coloured acrylic. When they’re not hanging from a ceiling they’re big enough!

Sounds time consuming but quite interesting at the same time. Why replace the glass if it's intact?

So nice, lost count of the visits here!

This is our third attempt over about 3 years but always been sealed.

Lovely building. Lots of great features. Great photos too.

Thanks, the pictures turned out nicer than the place tbh. It was a pigeon infested mess mostly 😂

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Sounds time consuming but quite interesting at the same time. Why replace the glass if it's intact?

The theatre was mostly derelict, much of the glass was broken or cracked.