Penistone Paramount Cinema
A community cinema and theatre in Penistone, South Yorkshire, combining film screenings, live entertainment and organ concerts.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Penistone Paramount Cinema is a community-run cinema and theatre located on Shrewsbury Road in Penistone, South Yorkshire, near Barnsley. It occupies a historic civic building that was originally commissioned as an assembly hall for the town and formed part of a wider municipal complex incorporating council offices and a library. Designed by Henry R. Collins in an Art Deco style, the building opened on 31 October 1914 after being inaugurated by Joseph Blamires, the mayor of Huddersfield. The venue began showing films on 20 November 1915 under the name Town Hall Picture House. Its early operation reflected the growing popularity of cinema as a form of mass entertainment in Britain during the silent-film era. The picture house became sufficiently successful for a balcony to be added during the 1920s, increasing capacity to approximately 900 seats. Later modifications included the addition of a stage and bar in the 1960s, helping the building function not only as a cinema but also as a broader entertainment venue. In 1986, the venue was renamed the Metro Cinema. A major subsequent development involved the installation of a Compton theatre organ. The instrument had originally been built in 1937 by the John Compton Organ Company in London for the Paramount Theatre in Birmingham. After the Birmingham theatre was refurbished and converted into a multiplex in 1988, the organ was transferred to the Regal in Oswestry. It entered storage when that cinema closed in 1994. The Penistone Cinema Organ Trust purchased the instrument in 2000. Its approximately 1,000 pipes were cleaned as part of a restoration project, and the trust reached an arrangement with the local council for the organ to be housed at the cinema. The venue subsequently adopted the name Paramount in recognition of the restored instrument. The organ has become an important part of the cinema's identity, supporting regular monthly organ concerts alongside mainstream and specialist film programming. The building remains owned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and is leased to Penistone Town Council, which helps maintain its operation as a cinema and community venue. Its model is based on preserving a local cultural facility rather than operating as a conventional national multiplex. In addition to film releases, the Paramount presents live shows and other theatrical or performance events. Its survival as a small provincial cinema attracted wider attention, including a feature on the BBC Politics Show in January 2007, where it was presented as an example of community-based cinema resilience. The venue also has a place in popular-culture production history. In 2016, it was used as a cinema location for the second episode of the television series Brief Encounters. A refurbishment carried out in summer 2020 reportedly cost £100,000, supporting the continued use of the historic building as a modern community entertainment venue. The cinema's current positioning rests on the combination of film exhibition, live performance, local ownership arrangements, architectural heritage and the distinctive Compton organ.
History
Penistone Paramount occupies a civic building on Shrewsbury Road in Penistone, in the South Yorkshire Pennines. The building was commissioned as an assembly hall for the town and formed part of a larger public complex that also included council offices and a library. Henry R. Collins designed the structure in an Art Deco style, using brick and stone. Its principal frontage is rusticated and faces Shrewsbury Road; architectural features include a detailed doorcase with an architrave and keystone, a first-floor row of seven windows and an open pediment. The building opened on 31 October 1914 in a ceremony conducted by Joseph Blamires, then mayor of Huddersfield. The venue became a cinema on 20 November 1915, when it began showing silent films as the Town Hall Picture House. The cinema proved successful and received a balcony during the 1920s, bringing its capacity to about 900 seats. The building later developed into a mixed-use entertainment venue. A stage and bar were added in the 1960s, expanding its suitability for live performances and social events as well as film exhibition. In 1986, it adopted the name Metro Cinema. A defining chapter began with the history of the venue's Compton organ. The instrument had been constructed in 1937 by the John Compton Organ Company in London for the Paramount Theatre in Birmingham. When the Birmingham venue was refurbished and converted into a multiplex in 1988, the organ was removed and transferred to the Regal in Oswestry. It remained there until that cinema closed in 1994, after which the instrument was placed in storage for six years. In 2000, the Penistone Cinema Organ Trust acquired the organ. Restoration work included cleaning its approximately 1,000 pipes. The trust then agreed with the council that the instrument would be based at the Penistone cinema. Following its installation, the cinema was renamed Paramount in recognition of the organ's association with the name and its importance to the venue's renewed identity. Monthly organ concerts became part of the cinema's programme, complementing regular film screenings and live shows. The ownership and operating structure reflects the venue's community character. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council retains ownership of the building, while Penistone Town Council leases it in order to keep the site open as a cinema. Rather than functioning as a branch of a national multiplex chain, the Paramount operates as a local cultural institution serving Penistone and surrounding communities. Its combination of cinema, theatre and organ programming has made it a notable example of a small town venue adapting to changing entertainment markets. The cinema received national attention in January 2007 when it appeared on the BBC Politics Show as an example of a small provincial community cinema that had survived. Its building has also been used for screen production: in 2016, it served as the cinema setting for the second episode of the television series Brief Encounters. A refurbishment undertaken in summer 2020, reported at a cost of £100,000, represented a further investment in the facility's long-term use. The Paramount remains associated with film releases, live performances, monthly organ concerts and the preservation of a historic local entertainment building.
- 2020
Refurbishment completed
[1]The venue underwent a refurbishment during summer 2020, reported to have cost £100,000.
- 2016
Used as a television filming location
[1]The cinema served as the cinema setting in the second episode of the television series Brief Encounters.
- 2007
BBC Politics Show feature
[1]The venue was presented on the BBC Politics Show as an example of a surviving small provincial community cinema.
- 2000
Penistone Cinema Organ Trust acquires Compton organ
[1]The trust purchased the former Paramount Theatre Birmingham organ, restored its pipework and arranged for it to be installed at the Penistone venue.
- 2000
Paramount name adopted
[1]The cinema was renamed Paramount in recognition of its newly installed Compton organ.
- 1986
Venue renamed Metro Cinema
[1]The cinema adopted the Metro Cinema name.
- 1920
Balcony added
[1]A balcony was added during the 1920s, increasing the venue's capacity to approximately 900 seats.
- 1915
Town Hall Picture House begins film screenings
[1]The building began operating as a cinema on 20 November, showing silent films under the Town Hall Picture House name.
- 1914
Civic building opens
[1]The assembly hall and associated civic complex designed by Henry R. Collins opened in Penistone on 31 October.
Products and positioning
Community-based cinema and theatre preserving a historic civic venue while offering film releases, live entertainment and organ concerts.
Cinema exhibition · 1915
Film screenings
The Paramount's core offering is public film exhibition. The venue presents film releases in a community-cinema setting rather than as part of a large national multiplex chain, using its historic auditorium and locally maintained facilities to serve Penistone and nearby communities.
Live entertainment
Live shows
The building includes a stage and functions as a theatre as well as a cinema. Live shows and other performance events broaden the venue's role, allowing it to operate as a local entertainment and cultural space beyond scheduled film screenings.
Music and heritage events · 2000
Monthly organ concerts
Monthly organ concerts showcase the restored Compton theatre organ installed at the venue after its acquisition by the Penistone Cinema Organ Trust in 2000. The concerts form a distinctive heritage-oriented part of the Paramount programme.
Brand decisions
2020
Refurbish the historic cinemaOtherBackground
The community venue required continued investment to remain suitable for cinema and live entertainment use.
Action taken
A refurbishment was carried out during summer 2020.
Aftermath
The venue continued operating as a cinema and theatre; the project was reported to have cost £100,000.
Refurbishment cost. £100,000 (Summer 2020)
2000
Install and preserve the Compton theatre organOtherBackground
The Compton organ had been removed from the Paramount Theatre in Birmingham, later used at the Regal in Oswestry and placed in storage after that cinema closed.
Action taken
The Penistone Cinema Organ Trust purchased the instrument, arranged restoration work including cleaning its approximately 1,000 pipes, and agreed with the council that it would be based at the Penistone cinema.
Aftermath
The venue adopted the Paramount name and incorporated monthly organ concerts into its community cinema and theatre programme.
Sources1 sources
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