Former Phillips Arcade Cinema, Terrace Road, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales, UK
Posted by: 
Ddraig Ddu
N 52° 24.983 W 004° 05.040
30U E 426276 N 5807903
The interior of the upper floors retains much of the original Coliseum Cinema, now Ceredigion County Museum. It has a rectangular auditorium and 2 tier gallery, elliptical proscenium arch and cast iron columns with Corinthian capitals. Open 1932-1977
Waymark Code: WMB4D8
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/04/2011
Views: 3
Originally on this site stood a wooden-built entertainment hall, known as Phillips' Hall named after the proprietor David Phillips. It stood on this site from 1891 until it burnt down in 1902.
David Phillips then took the opportunity to build a new hall which he named 'The Coliseum', which opened in 1905 with an arcade of shops below, some of which still remain. Phillips' name is commemorated in mosaic panels at the entrances to the building, three of which currently survive (and are also Waymarked)
Over 5000 events were staged at the Coliseum, including plays, films, Eisteddfod events, political meetings of Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, and also concerts.
This is how it was until 1932 when it was converted into a cinema. Nearly 4000 programmes of films were shown until closure in 1977. After lying derelict for 5 years, the Coliseum was repaired, restored and opened in 1982 as a museum for the District of Ceredigion, which purpose it still serves with a range of relics and artefacts including a skeleton found in the grounds of the nearby Castle.
It is an Edward/Queen Anne style building with bull nosed rubble, terracotta dressings and a central pedimented gable with apex niche containing a statue of Edward VII (look right up to the top floor).
The bays are divided by Ionic pilasters; the two outer bays have 2-storey (2nd and 3rd floor) bowed oriels capped by lead roofed open peristyle cupolas and the Art Nouveau oriel brackets rest on keystones to the semi circular 1st floor windows flanked by bullseye windows. The 1st and 2nd floor merged to centre with full height small pane sash windows.
The interior of the upper floors retains much of the original Coliseum Cinema, now Ceredigion County Museum. It has a rectangular auditorium with a 2 tier gallery, elliptical proscenium arch and cast iron columns with Corinthian capitals.
On the first floor is also one on the vintage movie projectors a huge piece of equipment (see gallery)
With thanks to 'the peoples collection wales' for some of the information and history.
Year Theater Opened: 1932
Number of Screen(s): 1
Web site: [Web Link]
Ticket Price (local currency): Not Listed
Matinee Price (local currency): Not Listed
Concessions Available: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
Must take a photo of the theater.
Please try to include yourself or gps in the picture.
Tell of your experience at the theater, if it is still a theater. If it is no longer a theater tell of an experience from the past at the theater, if this can be done.