Scotswood, Bridge Crecent, St. Margaret's Mission Church

HER Number:
12873

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Scotswood, Bridge Crecent, St. Margaret's Mission Church

Place:
Scotswood

Map Sheet:
NZ16SE

Class:
Religious Ritual and Funerary

Site Type: Broad:
Church

Site Type: Specific:
Mission Church

General Period:
Early Modern

Specific Period:
C19

Form of Evidence:
Demolished Building

Description:
In March 1926 architect F.M. Dryden submitted plans for the conversion of St. Margaret's Mission Church to a cinema. It had latterly been a Labour Exchange and a Scout Headquarters. It was a corrugated iron building. The interior was 62 feet x 24 feet with a small stage at one end. The walls were of varnished pitch pine - a potential fire hazard. The cinema was licenced for 290 seats and no standing was allowed. The owner was John Richard Scott, who had formed the Scotswood Cinema Co. Ltd. In February 1926 with Thomas Charlton, of the Picture Theatre, Lemington. Free admission could be gained with clean jam-jars, which were sold to a jam factory along Scotswood Road. In May 1938 architect Robert Burke drew up plans for a larger cinema with 536 seats. The Regent opened in December 1938. In 1952 J.R. Scott retired and the cinema was taken over by Carter Crowe, cinema equipment supplier. The Regent closed on 6 July 1957. It became a bingo hall and a rock club. It was demolished in 1964 for the approach roads to the new Scotswood Bridge.

Easting:
1994

Northing:
6381

Grid Reference:
NZ19946381

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Frank Manders, 1991, Cinemas of Newcastle, page 149; Terry Quin, 1991, Bygone Scotswood