London

Cineworld, Haymarket, SW1
Built as Carlton in 1927 built by Frank Verity for Paramount.

Screen-on-the-Green , 83 Upper Street, Islington, N1
An Edwardian cinema built in 1913 and originally called Empress Electric .

Empire, 5-6 Leicester Square, WC2
Original facade and structure of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer's 1928 Empire built by Thomas Lamb and FGM Chancellor.

Odeon, 24-26 Leicester Square, WC2
1937 building with a black façade that really disappears into the night sky. The architects were Harry Weedon, Andrew Mather and Thomas Braddock.

Vue, 3 Cranbourne Street, WC2
With a really amazing Art Deco façade this cinema was originally called Warner . It was built in 1938 by Edward A Stone and TR Somerford.

Coronet, Notting Hill Gate, W1
This was built as the Coronet theatre in 1898 by WGR Sprague . From 1916 onward it started to show films as well. It is listed for its historic merit at Grade II*.

Electric, Portobello Road, W11
One of the oldest surviving purpose-built cinemas in Britain. It was built in an Edwardian Baroque style by Gerald Seymour Valentine. This little picture house is amazing: it opened its doors in 1910 and has run almost continuously as a cinema ever since. It is Grade II* listed.

The Gate, Notting Hill Gate, W11
This was originally a restaurant but transformed in 1911 by William Hancock into a cinema. It was called Electric Palace and like so many early picture houses it is Edwardian in style with lots of sumptuous plasterwork. It is Grade II listed.

Ritzy, Brixton Oval, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton SW2
Opened in 1911 as the Electric Pavilion and Edwardian in style. The architects were EC Homer & Lewis. It was almost demolished in the 1970s, but was been brought back to life in 1994 with an extensive renovation. It has only ever been used as a cinema and is Grade II listed.

Rio, 107 Kingsland High Street, Dalston E8
Built, rebuilt and modified several times the location has been used as a cinema since 1909. The building on site now was originally called the Kingsland Empire . It was altered in 1936 by Frederick E Bromidge who made it look all streamlined and new. This is the space you can go and see a film in now. It is Grade II listed.

Phoenix, High Road, East Finchley, N2
This one is again one of the real oldies. It was opened in 1911 when it was called Picturedrome . It is Grade II listed.

Odeon, Holloway Road, Holloway, N7
This cinema had seat 3,006 seats when it first opened in 1938 as a Gaumont film house. The architect was C Howard Crane. It is massive and the foyer is in an impressive French Renaissance style. The large auditorium is now subdivided into 8 screens, but it is still well worth going to see a film here. It is Grade II listed.

Odeon, Fortis Green Road, Muswell Hill N10
This must be one of my real favourites. It was built by Odeon in 1936 and has a sweeping streamlined interior that is still very much as it was when it was first opened. The architect was George Coles. A real must! Grade II* listed because it is really so amazing.

Southern England

Odeon, Hill Street, Richmond, Surrey
This was built as the Richmond in 1930 by Julian Leathart. It is an atmospheric styled cinema themed on Mexico. The façade and foyer spaces are Aztec inspired Art Deco and the auditorium is a Spanish hacienda courtyard. Grade II listed.

Himalaya Palace, South Road, Southall, Middlesex
Go here for a really unique experience: The façade looks like a Chinese Pagoda and the films are Bollywood blockbusters. Then head out for an authentic curry in this bustling and vibrant outskirt of London. The cinema was called Palace when it opened in 1929. The architect was George Coles and this splendid Chinese fantasy is Grade II* listed.

Aldeburgh Cinema, High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk
This is a little gem. The Tudor revival auditorium was squeezed in behind an original 18 th century half timbered façade. The cinema was opened in 1924 and was originally called the Picture House .

Rex, High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
This is an ideal place to go for a romantic dinner date: The wonderful foyer is now an excellent restaurant and the auditorium has been brought back to its original Art Deco splendour complete with flamboyant gilt scrolled plasterwork and scallop shells. The seats are new red velvet plush arranged around tables and you can have drinks while enjoying your film. The cinema was built by David Evelyn Nye in 1938 and is Grade II listed.

Duke of York's Picturehouse, Preston Circus, Brighton, Sussex
Another little oldie: This cinema opened its doors in 1910 and has been showing films ever since. It is Grade II listed.

Curzon, Old Church Road, Clevedon, Somerset
This is a curious and quirky cinema with sunburst decorative scheme over the entrance. It was designed by Victor J Cox and the auditorium has pressed tin panelling brought in from the US that you might recognize from saloons. At the moment though, this are covered over with new interior finishes. A real shame, but there are plans to bring the entire original glory back soon, so do stay posted. It is Grade II listed.

Odeon, High Street, Esher, Surrey
If you are out and about to the races in leafy Esher then why not catch a film there as well. This cinema was called Embassy when it was opened in 1937. The architect was David Evelyn Nye and the wonderful Art Deco interior was conjured up by the cinema designers Mollo & Egan. Grade II listed.

Odeon, Sidwell Street, Exeter, Devon
This cinema still has its imposing modern brick frontage. The interior is mostly new though. It was built for Odeon by Robert Bullivant in 1937.

New Royal, Market Place, Faversham, Kent
Although this film house was built as an Odeon in 1930, the location of the historic town centre required a more sensitive solution than the typical streamlined and instantly recognizable facades of this chain. Mock Tudor was acceptable and so it was built. This style is followed through on the inside as well. Andrew Mather was the architect and the cinema is Grade II listed.

Electric Palace, King's Quay Street, Harwich, Essex
Although this is such an old little film house, this cinema has lots and lots of decorative plasterwork both inside and out. A real little gem that will surely take you back in time. It was built in 1911 and is Grade II* listed because it is really so complete.

Majestic, Tower Street, King's Lynn, Norfolk
This cinema was built by local architects JL Carnell and WD White in 1928. It is in a classical style both on its façade and inside. It is grade II listed.

Film Theatre, High Street, Leiston, Suffolk
This cinema is in a simple mock Tudor style inside and out with. It was built in 1914 as the Leiston Picture House .

Regent, Broad Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset
There is a real difference between the modest street façade of this cinema and the beautifully restored Art Deco world inside. A real stunner! William Henry Watkins was the architect and the cinema opened in 1937. It is Grade II listed.

Odeon, Magdalen Street, Oxford
You enter this cinema through a narrow unimposing street façade. But the cinema is spacious and double height and has not been subdivided. The cinema still has it's original proscenium and that is really very rare. There are murals too but they are hidden behind the curtains to improve acoustics. Originally called the Oxford it was built by Frank Matcham in 1924. Now Grade II listed.

The Screen, Station Road West, Oxted, Surrey
This cinema was originally called the Plaza when it opened in 1929. It is a mock Tudor fantasy inside and out.

Cinedrome, Landwell Street, Padstow, Cornwall
This is an old conversion of a music hall and theatre. It was built in 1919 and changed for film shows in 1924.

Odeon, New Canal, Salisbury, Wiltshire
This cinema is truly amazing. The entrance block is an original medieval merchant's house that was adapted as the cinema foyer. Then the auditorium was built in a mock Tudor style complete with murals and fake wood beams. It was built as a Gaumont Palace by William Edward Trent in 1931.The cinema part is listed Grade II while the merchant's house is Grade I.

Picture House, High Street, Uckfield, Sussex
This was built as a theatre in 1916 but was converted into a cinema in 1920 and then named Picture House. It was built by Walter Long and is mock Tudor in style.

Carlton, St. Mildred's Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent
This cinema started out as a town hall in 1910, then became a roller skating rink before its conversion to film use in 1912 when it was named the Town Hall Cinema. You can't miss it when walking along the road because it is in the most unusual and quirky Swiss chalet style. Grade II listed.

Odeon, The Centre, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
This cinema has a very good and typical Odeon façade with a crisp Art Deco interior. It was built by Thomas Cecil Howitt and opened in 1935. Amazingly his one still has its organ which is very rare indeed! Too bad the inside has been subdivided. Grade II listed.

Dome, Marine Parade Worthing, Sussex
This one is another conversion. It was built as an entertainment centre in 1911 by TA Allen and was originally called the Kursaal . Part of this lavishly decorated complex was a little cinema called the Electric Theatre that soon became so popular that the decision was made in 1921 to convert the large roller skating rink for film shows. It has just undergone an extensive renovation and is a really spectacular place to see a film. It is Grade II* listed.

Northern England

Scala, Market Place, Ilkeston, Derbyshire
Another amazing and rare survivor. Built as the Scala Picture House in 1913 by Parson & Sons almost everything is still like it was when it first opened. Grade II* listed.

Hyde Park Picture House, Brudenell Road, Leeds, W Yorks
This Edwardian cinema has never stopped showing films since it opened in 1914. It is Grade II* listed.

Odeon, East Parade, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
This is the quintessential Odeon façade, instantly recognizable as a cinema. It was designed by Harry Weedon in 1936 and has an almost identical twin building in Sutton Coldfield. There are now 5 screens, so the streamlined auditorium is hidden behind all the new surface materials. Grade II listed.

Majestic, Whitburn Street, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
This cinema opened in 1937. The architects were J Owen Bond and Son who gave it a very modern façade. The wonderful interior was by the cinema designers Mollo & Egan.

Regal, Teme Street , Tenbury Wells, Worcesteshire
You enter this cinema flanked by two little shops. Everything here is still very complete. Inside there are the most amazing murals of exotic palm trees by George Legg. The cinema architect was Ernest S. Roberts and it opened in 1937. Now Grade II listed.

Kinema-in-the-Woods, Coronation Road, Woodhall Spa, Lincs
The building was originally built as a concert pavilion as part of the spa grounds in 1922 but was quickly changed into a film house and called the Pavilion Cinema. It used back projection.

Reel, Blossom Street, York, North Yorkshire
This is another Odeon cinema built in 1937 by Robert Bullivant. The splendid Art Deco film house has just been comprehensively restored.

Plaza, Mersey Square, Stockport, Cheshire
Built in 1933, the Plaza was recently restored to its original glory after operating as a bingo hall for many years. It now serves as a concert and theatrical venue as well as a cinema.

Scotland (selective)

Picture House, Hall Street, Campbeltown, Strathclyde
This one is very unusual: on the outside it is built in a Charles Rennie Mackintosh style, but then on the interior has atmospheric decoration. It was opened in 1913 and was designed by AV Gardener. It is Category A listed.

Cameo, Home Street, Tollcross, Edinburgh
This cinema opened in 1914 and was originally called King's Cinema. It has excellent Edwardian decoration. Category B listed.

Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow
Originally named Cosmo, this cinema opened in 1939. The architect was James McKissack and the expressive brickwork exterior is very impressive. Regrettably it is much subdivided on the interior, although many original decoration survives. Category B listed.

Playhouse, Murray Street, Perth
This cinema opened in 1933 to the designs of Alex Cattenach Jr. It has a good Moderne symmetrical façade with a central tower feature. While it is subdivided inside, many original features are still there. Category B listed.

Wales (very selective!)

Public Hall, Cross Hands, Dyfed
This cinema opened in 1926 as a public hall but from 1930 operated as a cinema. It is Art Deco onside and out. Grade II* listed.