Report - The County Cinema (aka Stardust Bingo/ The Royal Clarence Theater) - Pontypridd - Sept 2020

Speed · Sep 6, 2020

Now this is not my best report ever, i didn't have much time in here for photos so just concentrated on the main bits. I think this one closed around 2010, it was certainly still running in 2009 when we did the Town Hall cinema up the road but the next time we found ourselves over that way it had closed.. Ive had a few looks at it since but being on an acute corner plot with a row of shops on one side and the train station the other it wasn't very easy for anyone to casually bust it open. This time i arrived to find it fenced off and asbestos removal vans outside, bit annoying not to have seen it before them but im glad i didn't leave it much longer as i guess it will be going shortly! On the whole i was underwhelmed. I had high hopes with it being run by an independent bingo chain and appearing to be a fairly large building i was hoping for lots of hidden rooms of ancient theater tat and maybe a forgotten projector or two. Well cant say i found much like that but then again i was only in there 30mins, partially as the Mrs was in the car and already most unhappy, partially because there was at least 6 policemen directly outside trying to round up hordes of feral children that seemed to be roaming the town.. Strangely for a cinema this place had quite a few windows and flashing a torch around with them outside felt a bit foolish!

Guess its a 6/10.. Decent condition, bit stripped, bare projection room, lack of interesting tat but i didn't look that hard so it could be my fault!

The Royal Clarence Theatre was built in 1890, and by 1901 had been re-named New Theatre. Films were soon being presented as part of the programme.

Built by the Jackson Withers chain, Pontypridd’s only Art Deco style cinema opened in January 1939 within the walls of the New Theatre, which had been given a total make-over. The County Cinema occupies a corner site near the station and was a vast white rendered building with a few streamlined Art Deco style windows and a slim entrance canopy. It had a streamlined interior with cove lighting and a waterfall festoon screen curtain. The proscenium was 30 feet wide.

Like its neighour the White Palace Cinema, it suffered from the onslaught of video and colour TV. It was converted into the Castle Bingo Club in the early-1980’s, a use which continued until the early-2000’s when it was last known as the Stardust Bingo Club. It now stands empty which is a sad end for a great cinema.