Mr Snooker's Club (formerly Cecil Cinema)

Cadw's description

Location

At the S end of Fothergill Street, at its junction with Bridge Street.

History

Built in 1913 (date on building) as the Cecil Cinema, which closed in 1980. From 1975-80 it was also partly a bingo hall. It was converted to a snooker club in 1981, which involved levelling the original raked floor in the main auditorium and inserting a suspended ceiling below the original ceiling, which has survived.

Exterior

An early cinema with a free classical style entrance wing in terracotta and a taller and longer main range behind. The building occupies a corner site and so the entrance wing is triangular in plan, while the main range follows the line of Bridge Street on the rear (W) side. The E side has a single-window facet over No 2 Fothergill Street and then a 5-window facet at an angle and set back behind 3-5 Fothergill Street. The entrance wing has a roof concealed behind a parapet. The E elevation facing Fothergill Street has 2 segmental-headed doorways with keystones, of which the L-hand is blind and the R-hand has recessed double panelled doors. To the R is a single narrow window under a keystone, boarded up at the time of inspection. In the upper storey is a large recessed panel rendered white, within which are 2 oculi with keystones and large festoons, in which are pivoting small-pane windows. The outer sides have blank tablets with foliage drops. A moulded cornice is below the parapet and continues around the S and W walls. The narrow S end wall has an infilled upper storey window, formerly lighting the stair, with keystone and festoon. The W elevation facing Bridge Street is similar to the E, but has 3 small infilled windows with keystones at low level. Between the 2 oculi is a dated rainwater head. The main range has roughcast walls and slate roof with a single ridge ventilator. In the S gable end, above the entrance wing, is a blind keyed oculus in terracotta surround. Facing Fothergill Street are 4-light mullioned and transomed windows. The 6-window Bridge Street (W) elevation has windows boarded up and an inserted escape door in the L-hand window. The N gable end has a low projection with monopitch roof.

Interior

The entrance vestibule has a rich plaster ceiling with classical detail. The stair is in 2 flights and is V-shaped, with moulded wooden hand rail and steel balusters. The main auditorium has modern fittings concealing original detail. At the time of inspection the original segmental plaster vault was partly visible and has classical detail.

Reason for designation

Listed for architectural interest as a pre 1914 cinema, an extremely rare survival in S Wales.