Royal Victoria Music Hall - Old Ford Road, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 31.926 W 000° 02.648
30U E 705010 N 5713141
This Bow Heritage Trail blue plaque advises that "... on this site stood... the former Royal Victoria Music Hall". The plaque is attached to a building on the south east side of Old Ford Road close to the Regent's Canal in east London.
Waymark Code: WMZ7BT
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/23/2018
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member MeerRescue
Views: 1

The wording on the Bow Heritage Trail plaque reads:

Bow Heritage Trail

234 Old Ford Road
On this site stood (until 1985)
the former Royal Victoria Music Hall
licensed between 1867 and 1903,
it seated three hundred

The Arthur Lloyd website has an article about the music hall that advises:

The Royal Victoria Music Hall was situated on Old Ford Road opposite Victoria Park in Bethnal Green and started out as a Concert Hall next to the Royal Victoria Public House, opening in 1867. The Music Hall had seating for about 300 people and along with the Music Hall acts also served food and drink. The Landlord of the Royal Victoria Public House, William Scaddan, was also the chairman of the Music Hall, introducing the 'Turns'. However, in 1879 Joseph Bruton took over as the Pub's Landlord and also became the Music Hall's Chairman.

The Music Hall was closed down in 1887 when it failed new safety regulations. It was later sold to Constant van Hoydonck who rebuilt it and reopened it as the Royal Victoria Theatre in 1891.

However, the Coffee Music Hall Company Ltd., who had recently taken over what is today known as the Old Vic but was then called the Royal Victoria Hall and Coffee Tavern, objected to the new name for the Bethnal Green Theatre as they thought it would confuse people and damage their business. Eventually Constant van Hoydonck relented under pressure from the authorities, who pointed out that he only had a Music Hall Licence and not a theatrical one, and so he renamed the Theatre with its former monicker of the Royal Victoria Music Hall.

The Music Hall continued in operation under this name until it was finally closed in 1903. It then remained dark for years but was eventually put to use briefly as a Cinema in 1910 but this was short lived and it closed again in 1914. The building was afterwards used for many other purposes but none of them theatrical, and it was only finally demolished in 1985.

Type of Historic Marker: Metal plaque

Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Bow Heritage Trail

Age/Event Date: 01/01/1867

Related Website: [Web Link]

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OrientGeo visited Royal Victoria Music Hall - Old Ford Road, London, UK 01/10/2021 OrientGeo visited it