The Kinema in the Woods

The Kinema in the Woods is a historic cinema and entertainment venue in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, England. Dating from 1922, it is notable for preserving a rare rear-projection arrangement: the image is projected from behind the screen rather than from the auditorium side. The venue is described as the only fully functioning cinema in the United Kingdom to retain this form of projection, making its technical layout an important part of its identity as well as its heritage. The cinema operated for more than five decades under Major C. C. Allport, who ran it from its opening period in 1922 until 1973. In that year it was acquired by James Green, who continued to operate the venue until his retirement in 2013. The succession from Allport to Green represents a long period of continuity for an independently associated local cinema, rather than a transition into a national multiplex chain. The Kinema expanded beyond its original auditorium over time. A second screen, named Kinema Too, opened in 1994, accompanied by an extension to the main foyer. A third screen was added in 2019, increasing the venue's ability to show multiple films and accommodate different audiences. A fourth screen opened in October 2021. The site also operates an outdoor screen during summer weekends, extending its programme into an open-air format when seasonal conditions permit. Another defining feature is the Compton Kinestra organ installed in Screen One in June 1987. The instrument had originally been installed in 1927 at the Super Cinema on Charing Cross Road in London. Its ornate red-lacquered two-manual console contributes to the cinema's historical character and links the venue with the era when cinemas commonly incorporated organs and live musical accompaniment. Together, the rear-projection system, the organ, the long operating history and the later screen additions give The Kinema in the Woods a position that combines film exhibition with architectural and technological heritage. The venue's principal business is cinema exhibition, including scheduled screenings in its indoor auditoria and seasonal outdoor presentations. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate parent company, listed ownership structure, founder, or current executive leadership. The cinema remains an active local and heritage-oriented venue in Woodhall Spa.

The Kinema in the Woods was established in 1922 in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. Its most distinctive technical characteristic is rear projection, in which the film image is projected onto the screen from behind. This arrangement has been retained throughout the cinema's modern operation and is identified as a rare surviving example in the United Kingdom. The venue's name and setting also reflect its association with Woodhall Spa's wooded environment. Major C. C. Allport operated the cinema from 1922 until 1973. In 1973, James Green acquired the venue and managed it for the following four decades, retiring in 2013. The long tenures of these two operators helped preserve the cinema's continuity as a local venue while the broader exhibition sector changed from single-screen cinemas toward multiplex and multi-screen formats. The cinema began expanding its capacity in the late twentieth century. Kinema Too, the second screen, was added in 1994, and the main foyer was extended as part of the development. A third screen followed in 2019. In October 2021, a fourth screen opened, giving the venue a broader internal programme and allowing more films or showtimes to be presented concurrently. During summer weekends, the cinema also operates an outdoor screen, adding a seasonal open-air component to its exhibition offer. The building's heritage is not limited to its projection system. In June 1987, a Compton Kinestra organ was installed in Screen One. The instrument had been built into the Super Cinema on Charing Cross Road, London, in 1927. It includes an ornate red-lacquered two-manual console and serves as a surviving reminder of the organ installations that were once associated with large cinemas and picture palaces. The available reference material presents The Kinema in the Woods primarily as an operating cinema and historic attraction. It does not identify a current corporate parent, public listing, founder, or named current management team. Its continuing operation is defined by the combination of regular film exhibition, multiple indoor screens, a seasonal outdoor screen and preservation of unusual historic cinema equipment.

• 2021

  Fourth screen opened

  [1]The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org

  A fourth screen opened in October 2021.

• 2019

  Third screen added

  [1]The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org

  The venue expanded its indoor capacity with the addition of a third screen.

• 2013

  James Green retired

  [1]The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org

  James Green retired after operating the cinema from 1973.

• 1994

  Kinema Too opened

  [1]The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org

  A second auditorium, Kinema Too, was added and the main foyer was extended.

• 1987

  Compton Kinestra organ installed

  [1]The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org

  A Compton Kinestra organ was installed in Screen One. The organ had originally been installed at London's Super Cinema in 1927.

• 1973

  Change of operator

  [1]The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org

  James Green acquired the cinema after Major C. C. Allport's long operating period.

• 1922

  Cinema established

  [1]The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org

  The Kinema in the Woods dates from 1922 and begins its history as a cinema in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.

A distinctive independent-style cinema venue combining contemporary multi-screen exhibition with historic architecture, rear-projection technology, a heritage theatre organ and seasonal outdoor screenings.

• Cinema auditorium · 1922

  Screen One

  The principal historic auditorium of The Kinema in the Woods. It is associated with the venue's rear-projection system and houses the Compton Kinestra organ installed in 1987. The organ's red-lacquered two-manual console is one of the auditorium's notable heritage features.

• Cinema auditorium · 1994

  Kinema Too

  The venue's second screen, added in 1994 as part of an expansion that also enlarged the main foyer. It enabled the cinema to present more than one programme at a time while retaining its historic main auditorium.

• Cinema auditorium · 2019

  Third screen

  An additional indoor screen introduced in 2019. Its addition increased the venue's capacity for concurrent film programmes and strengthened the cinema's multi-screen operating model.

• Cinema auditorium · 2021

  Fourth screen

  The fourth indoor screen opened in October 2021, further expanding the cinema's exhibition capacity.

• Outdoor cinema

  Outdoor screen

  A seasonal outdoor screening facility used during summer weekends. It extends the venue's film-exhibition offer beyond its indoor auditoria when the seasonal programme is operating.

1. 1The Kinema in the Woodsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Kinema in the Woods official websitethekinemainthewoods.co.uk