Warminster Athenaeum is a Victorian theatre in Warminster, Wiltshire, England, and a Grade II listed building.[1] Built in Jacobean style in 1857/8 to designs by William Jervis Stent,[1] it is held in trust on behalf of the residents of Warminster by a charitable trust[2] and is Wiltshire's oldest working theatre. It is one of the oldest non-cinema venues in the country to still be showing films - the first having been presented in 1897.
The building was originally a literary institution with a large lecture room, a reading room, classrooms and a library.[3] Lectures, entertainment, plays and concerts were held. From 1895 the building was owned by the Urban District Council.[4] In 1912, Albany Ward leased the auditorium and converted it into the Palace Cinema which was also used for plays, operas and music. It ran for fifty two years as a cinema, presenting over 13,000 films. Most parts of the building closed after falling into disrepair in December 1964,[4] with just a gentlemen's club remaining on the first floor.
The Athenaeum reopened after much restoration in 1969 as an Art Centre presenting an ambitious programme of arts; music, dance, cinema, plays, concerts and exhibitions.[citation needed] After falling into financial difficulty and liquidation, in February 1997, the building was rescued by a steering group who reformed the charity and reopened the whole building as The Athenaeum Centre for the Community in September 2000.[citation needed] The trust launched a restoration appeal, and by 2015 had already spent over £100,000 on the building, cleaning the facade, replacing the roof, and refurbishing the bar and function room.[citation needed] The Centre continues to host shows, plays, concerts, lectures and films.
