Rushden Research Group: Croyland Motors

Croyland Motors

New life for the Old Cinema

The Rushden Echo, 15th January 1962

This familiar building in High Street, Rushden, which closed its doors last year as the Royal Theatre, has now been converted into motor showrooms. The front of the building has a completely new look, and the name has been erased, leaving no more visible reminders of the theatre which started entertaining local people early this century. [1911]

Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 3^rd March 1961

Rushden cinema to be a car showroom

The closure of one of Rushden's two remaining cinemas is in the offing. At Rushden Urban Council approval was given without comment for the conversion of the Royal Theatre into a motor showroom and workshop.

Applicants were Croyland Motors Ltd., whose headquarters are in Oxford-street, Wellingboro'. A spokesman of the firm said no date had been fixed for taking over the vacant possession of the cinema.

Five years ago Rushden had three cinemas but then the Palace closed down. Shortly only the Ritz will remain to cater for a population, with Higham Ferrers, of over 20,000.

This building has had a variety of businesses trading since the cinema closed including Bedford Way Motors, a printing/copying company and "Lockit & Glazit", before it was demolished when Asda bought the site.


Bedford Way Motors took over the building, but had a disastrous fire and the building was much reduced in size. After being reduced, several companies used the building before it was finally demolished in 2006.	Lockit & Glazit - last to use this building Photo taken in 2006 by Brian Shelton

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