Historic Picture House to go under the hammer in October auction

The building, on Station Road, will go under the hammer on October 18.

The Picture House first opened in 1921 and was the town’s first luxury theatre.

Crowds lined the street outside it when The Princess Royal - Princess Mary - visited Castleford in 1955, for the Charter Day ceremony, making the area officially a Borough.

The cinema, which seated up to 1,200 people and also had a ballroom and stage facilities, was decorated with flowers and bunting for the occasion.

The Picture House closed in 1964.

Since then it has been run as a bingo hall, cafe bar, and most recently The Picture House pub, bar and nightclub.

But in January, a fire ripped through part of the building leaving its exterior burnt and blackened.

Inside, some of its furniture and fittings were gutted.

The building, which has a guide price of £150,000, now requires refurbishment throughout.

It includes a basement with storage, office space, a bar and toilets on the ground floor, and a nightclub on the first and second floors.

Do you have memories of The Picture House from over the years?

We’d like you to share them with us before the building goes up for auction.

You can send your tales to [email protected] or write to us.