History Of The Spa Pavilion

The Spa Pavilion has been attracting theatre goers from all over Suffolk and beyond for over 100 years

The top two pictures to the right show the site where the freshwater spring known as “The Spa” was situated in 1897 and taken from a different angle in 1901.

The site where the theatre now stands was originally a band stand built in the early 1900’s however this first band stand was quite small and did not really have much room for seating, this may have only been a temporary structure. A second bandstand was erected in 1907, which was octagonal and made out of wrought iron; this was the first permanent structure to be built on this site. It had seating for over 400 people and had enough room for up to thirty musicians and was one of the local attractions. This site was chosen for its close proximity to the sea but also because it was near the famous spa waters which attracted people to this end of the town.

Two years later a Floral Hall was built on the same site. Because Felixstowe had grown as a town and a summer resort an all year venue was needed which could withstand the weather. Harry Clegg the County surveyor designed the new Floral Hall and Henry J Linzell a local builder built it. This was based on the Floral Hall in Bridlington. The bandstand was not destroyed but was incorporated into the new building, it was an unusual structure as the sides of the Floral Hall could be opened out so that people walking along the promenade could see in and hear the music.

This magnificent Hall was opened by Lord Claude Hamilton the chairman of The Great Eastern Railway Company on the 25th June 1909. It was very ornate inside and had seating for about 700 people. The Hall cost approximately £7,000 to build! It was 132 feet long and 70 feet wide. On the west side of the Floral Hall was a tearoom. A menu of the period showed that tea cost 4d per pot, coffee 3d and ice-creams 4d.

The famous Spa gardens were developed soon after the new Floral Hall was built and soon became a popular tourist attraction. The Lord Mayor of London officially opened the gardens in 1928.

The Floral Hall was closed in 1938 and destroyed and the Spa Pavilion was designed and built on the site, it was similar in design to the original except that it was now a fully developed theatre. However during the Second World War in 1941 the theatre was bombed and was not opened again until 1950 when it was re-built to be the theatre we know today. The sea view lounge was added later in 1960.

The Spa Pavilion as it stands at the moment has a 892 seat auditorium and a restaurant that overlooks the sea and has been attracting theatre goers from all over Suffolk and beyond for over 100 years.