Hollywood Central Cinema

Hollywood Central Cinema is a cinema in Fakenham, Norfolk, England. It operates within the Corn Exchange, a commercial building in the Market Place that is a Grade II listed structure. The building was originally completed in 1855 as a corn exchange, designed by John Brown of Norwich in the Italianate style, built in red brick with ashlar stone dressings at a cost of £4,000. It was converted into a cinema capable of seating 700 people in 1930, and was branded as the "Central Cinema" in 1937. After serving as the headquarters of the local Home Guard during the Second World War, the cinema closed in 1976. The building was later re-purposed as a bingo hall in the late 1970s but became vacant in the mid-1990s. Following an extensive programme of refurbishment works designed by Nicholas Hills, it reopened as the "Hollywood Cinema" in July 2000. It subsequently changed ownership in 2009 and again in 2017. The cinema is located in the centre of Fakenham's Market Place and serves the local community and visitors to the area.

The building that now houses Hollywood Central Cinema was originally constructed as a corn exchange. In the early 1850s, a group of local businessmen formed the "Fakenham Corn Exchange and Public Rooms Company" to finance and commission a purpose-built corn exchange for the town. Investors included Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester, whose seat was at Holkham Hall. The site selected in the centre of the Market Place had previously been occupied by a market cross and sessions hall dating back to 1649; the sessions hall was demolished in 1801. The current building was designed by John Brown of Norwich in the Italianate style, built in red brick with ashlar stone dressings at a cost of £4,000, and completed in 1855. It featured a symmetrical main frontage of five bays facing west onto Old Post Office Street, with sash windows, rounded corners containing doorways, and a heavy cornice and parapet at roof level. Internally, it included a main hall for traders, a courtroom for magistrates, and a library. The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century. It was converted into a cinema capable of seating 700 people in 1930. In 1937, it was branded as the "Central Cinema" and a plaque inscribed with "Central" was installed above a new doorway in the central bay. During the Second World War, the building served as the headquarters of the local Home Guard. The cinema closed in 1976. In the late 1970s, the building was re-purposed as a bingo hall, but it became vacant in the mid-1990s. After an extensive programme of refurbishment works carried out to a design by Nicholas Hills, it reopened as the "Hollywood Cinema" in July 2000. It subsequently changed ownership in 2009 and again in 2017.

• 2017

  Cinema changed ownership again.

• 2009

  Cinema changed ownership.

• 2000

  Reopened as the "Hollywood Cinema" in July after refurbishment designed by Nicholas Hills.

• 1976

  Cinema closed.

• 1937

  Cinema branded as the "Central Cinema".

• 1930

  Building converted into a cinema capable of seating 700 people.

• 1855

  Corn exchange building completed, designed by John Brown of Norwich.

Local community cinema housed in a historic Grade II listed former corn exchange.

• Cinema screenings

• Film tickets

• Concessions

1. 1Hollywood Central Cinema - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Corn Exchange, Fakenham - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org