Harrogate Royal Hall Tours

Harrogate’s Royal Hall has been restored to its gleaming, glittering Edwardian splendour. See for yourself by taking a guided tour…

The Royal Hall is a Grade II listed building of special architectural and historic importance – and it’s about to embark on another series of open days and guided tours, so its painstaking and expensive restoration project can be seen by more Harrogate residents and by visitors to the town.

This spectacular and ornate Edwardian theatre hall was opened in 1903, the creation of a partnership between architect Robert Beale and famous theatre designer Frank Matcha
m. Designed as a “cure hall” or “Kursaal” in the great German spa tradition, the hall was the major entertainments venue for the rich and famous who flocked to Harrogate to take the waters – at the beginning of the 20th century this town was one of the most famous spas in Europe.

Harrogate’s Kursaal was the only one built by Matcham, and so is the only example of this specific theatre design in the country. A truly multi-purpose building, the hall was used for concerts, social gatherings and tea-dances during the day and for music hall, burlesque and glittering balls at night. It was renamed the “Royal Hall” following the wave of anti-German sentiment that swept the UK after World War I.

“It’s about to embark on another series of open days and guided tours…”

After a huge fundraising campaign and restoration project masterminded by the Royal Hall Restoration Trust (RHRT), the Royal Hall was put back to its original Edwardian majesty. It was closed for seven years during the renovations but reopened in 2008 and today it is a delightful mix of gilded Edwardian ceilings, plush red velvet seats and boxes, and pastoral murals high on the walls.

The hall has a seating capacity of 1,000 and fills the gap between the smaller Harrogate Theatre, with 500 seats, and the International Conference Centre, which caters for over 2,000. It’s known for its superb acoustics and latest technology, so continues to be a highly successful venue for events, arts and entertainment in Harrogate, acting as theatre, concert hall, conference venue, exhibition hall, dance hall and cinema all rolled into one.

It’s the premier location for prestigious concerts as well as events during Harrogate International Festivals, Harrogate International Youth Music Festival and the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival – in short the Royal Hall plays a vital part in the cultural life of North Yorkshire.

However, more work needs to be done on the building. The RHRT are still fundraising towards additional ways to enhance the building, its facilities and visitor experience. Over the last two years the Trust’s volunteers have run regular free open days and tours to introduce the building to the general public and had more than 1,800 visitors in 2016.

As Catherine Wright, trustee of the RHRT, says, “The Royal Hall is a priceless part of our national heritage. We really want to spread the message about the open days and tours; every person who sees the Royal Hall with hopefully go on to support the Royal Hall Restoration Trust in securing the building’s future.”

 

Take a Tour

So far a series of 14 weekdays have been confirmed for the tours between February 15 and October 25 (see http://www.royalhallrestorationtrust.org.uk/category/open-days/ for details). The hall is open between 10:00 and 16:00 on these days and is free to visit, although a donation box is available for contributions to the on-going fundraising. On each open day, guided tours run at 11:00 and 14:30; no booking is required but there is a charge of £3 per person. Groups are welcome on the guided tours; please email royalhalltours@harrogate.gov.uk to arrange a date.