West Street, Wareham: Rex Cinema & Georgian House

Rex Cinema

The somewhat ungainly neo-gothic building to the left, with the sign "Oddfellows Hall" on its gable, and the smaller annexe to its right with yellow-painted timber, today house the Rex Cinema.

The Oddfellows Hall was built in 1889 as a venue for entertainments such as travelling theatres, musical concerts and banquets. It may have also welcomed travelling bioscope (early cinema) shows during the years leading up to 1914. From the onset of World War I, the area immediately westwards of Wareham housed a large army camp, and its garrison theatre supplanted the Hall in supplying entertainments for the local people.

In 1920 the Hall rebranded itself as the Empire Theatre. Its first "Talkie" - talking movie - was screened in 1927. Since then its primary role has been as a cinema, but it is still home to a variety of other events. It has been known as the Rex since the 1960s.

The Rex Cinema is the base of the annual Purbeck Film Festival, and is one of the rare UK cinemas where you can take your drink - from the licensed bar downstairs - into the auditorium to drink during a show.


Georgian House

An early 18th century house, originally of just a ground floor with attic above, it was given a first floor and new roof during the early 19th century. The roof covering is of clay tiles, with two courses of Purbeck stone tiles at the bottom. Of little architectural merit, but at least the positioning of first floor windows and roof dormers is symmetrical.


West Street

Click here for a wider angled photo of West Street.