The Royal Hall is a

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

performance hall and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

, located in

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

, England. With local benefactors led by engineering inventor

Samson Fox Samson Fox, Justice of the peace, JP (11 July 1838 – 24 October 1903) was an English engineer, industrialist and philanthropist. He was elected Mayor of Harrogate in Yorkshire and the building of the Royal College of Music in London was funded ...

, the building opened in 1903 as the Kursaal. It had been constructed on the site of the former Cheltenham Pump Room, as visitors to the town seeking the famed spa water, had declined in the latter half of the 19th century. The Kursaal was designed by Robert Beale and

Frank Matcham Francis Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920)Mackintosh, Iain"Matcham, Frank" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 was an English architect who specialised in the design of theatres and ...

, one of the most prolific theatre architects of his time, it was loosely based on the design of the

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

Kursall in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. '' Kursaal'' is a

German language German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...

word which translates literally as “Cure Hall,” but was used for grand receptions and special occasions. A popular form of building in late 19th-century European spa destinations, the concept never caught on in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Hence as

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

began, the theatre was renamed the more patriotic "Royal Hall". In the 1950s, like many theatres converted into a cinema but looking for alternative uses, the venue helped in the formation and growth of Harrogate as a conference and exhibition centre. The Royal Hall is an important national heritage building, with Harrogate acknowledged as a top UK event destination and home to

Harrogate International Centre Harrogate Convention Centre is a Convention (meeting), convention and Convention center, exhibition centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. History Previously named Harrogate International Centre it was renamed Harrogate Convention Cen ...

. By 1997 the Royal Hall needed renovation, and in 2001,

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

put the building on the national “buildings at risk” register. The

Harrogate Borough Council Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination; its visitor attractions include its spa waters and RHS Harlow ...

formed the Royal Hall Restoration Trust to raise the £10.7 million needed for the restoration. Supported by Edward Fox, a great-grandson of

, donations were received from the Council, Harrogate International Centre, and the

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

, with the trust itself raising £2.7 million from local benefactors. This allowed for an authentic interior redecoration and the restoration of the dress circle. The patron of the Royal Hall Restoration Trust,

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

, led the Hall’s official re-opening on 22 January 2008. Harrogate's Royal Hall has been the central venue within the

Harrogate International Festivals Harrogate International Festivals (HIF) is a Registered Charity, registered charity and one of the UK's longest running arts festivals, having been established in 1966. It is based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Festivals include the Harrogate Mu ...

portfolio, since the Festival was established in 1966, and in 2014 played host to

J.K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( ; born 31 July 1965), known by her pen name , is a British author and philanthropist. She is the author of ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume fantasy novel series published from 1997 to 2007. The series has sold over 600&nb ...

's only UK appearance under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. In 2014, The International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, an annual three-week theatre festival from the end of July through most of August, moved to

. In 2013, the Festival had sold more than 25,000 tickets by June. The Festival was held in

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Alston, Cumbria also claims this, but lacks a regu ...

from 1994 to 2013. It is an adjudicated competition among a dozen amateur Gilbert & Sullivan troupes, with professional performances given on the weekends, given in the Hall. There are also dozens of fringe events scheduled for the Harrogate Theatre and other venues.

References

External links

*{{Official, royalhall.co.uk Theatres completed in 1903 Grade II* listed buildings in North Yorkshire Buildings and structures in Harrogate Theatres in North Yorkshire Tourist attractions in Harrogate Grade II* listed theatres

See also

References

External links