The Kings Hall

The King's Hall was built in 1937, as a dance hall with a stage and an orchestra pit. Although dancing ended at the hall in the mid 1960s, its name lives on in this Wetherspoon pub.

When the hall opened, in 1937, the country was still reeling from the shock abdication of King Edward VIII, the previous year. Edward declared that he could not rule without the support of the woman he loved, American divorcee Wallis Simpson. He renounced the throne in favour of his younger brother, who became King George VI. The hall was built by local estate agent F W Allen, for 'musical and dramatic performances', and boasted a stage and orchestra pit. Allen sold it in 1958, when it became the Picador Dancing Club. More recently, the first floor was used as a restaurant.