The Story Behind One of Exeter's Most Historic Corners

Walk down North Street in the heart of Exeter, and you’ll pass a building that most people just walk past without any thought.

However, the landmark at number 12 has been entertaining the city for 90+ years. It holds a story in Art Deco architecture, wartime survival, banned horror films, and more.

A Grand 1932 Opening

The building began its life as Gaumont Palace, opening on Whit Monday, 16 May 1932.

It was the work of important architects and designers Henry Watkins and Percy Bartlett. Two individuals are the people behind the unusual Scandinavian Art Deco hybrid that is unique to Exeter.

Inside, a 1,499-seat auditorium was arranged in a stadium-like arrangement. Its walls had been decorated with painted panels of medieval life, and the ceiling was domed, ribbed plaster.

Reports suggest that a two-manual Wurlitzer organ entertained the audience between films as well. Therefore, by any measure, during the 1930s, it was a building that the city was proud of.

Part of Exeter's Story

In 1932, Exeter’s Watch Committee took exception to the new Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff, and blocked it from being shown. It was, however, being shown in Topsham, to which many who wanted to see it travelled.

When the recession hit in the mid-1930s, the management staged a non-stop variety performance in aid of the city’s unemployed. The building also later survived a wartime bombing that flattened a lot of Exeter during that period.

Because of this and the age of the building, the Gaumont is now considered a Grade II listing, ensuring its historic beauty is protected against future developments.

The New Chapter

By the 1960s, cinema visits were in decline, and the Gaumont showed its last film on 4 May 1963. This was the first of Exeter’s main cinemas to close at the time.

Rather than falling silent, it actually reopened as a bingo and gaming venue. To this date, it’s still open, just repurposed for the new era of entertainment.

Its neighbours on North Street tell a similar story. They were once shops, but over time, have started offering different types of entertainment.

At one location, you can play casino games similar to the ones you’ll find online. Here, you’ll find a number of providers and games across RNG-style slots and table games.

A Living Landmark

What makes the North Street building so special isn’t its age. It’s the fact that it never became a museum piece. If anything, it’s just something that many locals walk past each day without even noticing it.

Local heritage records show it has entertained the city almost continuously since 1932. It went through cinema, the war, reinvention, and more and is still being used to this day, which is remarkably impressive.

Nearly a century on, it still acts as Exeter’s social fabric. A place where people can meet together as a community and engage in entertainment that they find enjoyable, so it's certainly a building to remember.