Central Bandstand, Herne Bay
| Central Bandstand | |
|---|---|
The Central Bandstand in 1925
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| General information | |
| Type | Performance venue |
| Architectural style | Art deco |
| Location | Sea front |
| Address | Central Parade, CT6 5JN |
| Town or city | Herne Bay, Kent |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°22′21″N 1°07′27″E / 51.3726°N 1.1242°ECoordinates: 51°22′21″N 1°07′27″E / 51.3726°N 1.1242°E |
| Completed | 1st phase 1924 2nd phase 1932 |
| Renovated | 1998–1999 |
| Cost | £3,100 (2nd phase) |
| Landlord | City of Canterbury |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Reinforced Concrete |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | H. Kempton Dyson |
| Structural engineer | H. Kempton Dyson |
| Website | |
| Tripadvisor.co.uk: Central Banstand | |
The Central Bandstand, known as the Bandstand, in Herne Bay, Kent, England, was designed by H. Kempton Dyson in 1924, extended with an art deco frontage in 1932, and refurbished between 1998 and 1999. It is one of the coastal landmarks of the town. When first built, it was a popular venue for visiting military band concerts and for tea dances. Edwina Mountbatten spoke there on behalf of the Red Cross in 1939. In the 1920s and 1930s a red carpet would be laid across the road and up to the stage for the conductor of the brass band to walk from the Connaught Hotel which was directly opposite the Bandstand.
The Central Bandstand with its 1932 frontage has been described as an art deco landmark, and one of the first reinforced concrete structures in the UK. It straddles the beach and Central Parade just east of the Clock Tower. The back or seaward half, built in 1924, was originally supported above the beach on concrete pillars sheathed in cast iron, so that the stage was level with the main thoroughfare. The tide used to go in and out under the building until at least the 1950s. During World War II when the Pier was out of bounds, anglers were permitted to fish from the rooftop balcony. As of 2013 the beach has risen so that the piers are no longer visible and the sea has receded away from the Bandstand.
In process of construction, 1924
Piers supporting bandstand visible above beach, 1920s
Piers hidden below risen beach in 2013
It was first called the New Bandstand, and then the Central Bandstand, to differentiate it from other bandstands in Herne Bay, especially the bandstand which stood on the roof of the King's Hall and has since been demolished. The north or seaward side of the Central Bandstand was built in 1924, with alterations in 1931. The original architect was Herbert Kempton Dyson, M.I.Struct.E (1880–1944), who was a founder member of the Concrete Institute, and specialised in reinforced concrete structures. The 1924 section has two outside seaward-facing balconies with space for deckchairs, including a cantilevered roof for the lower deck and for covering the stage inside. Metal, glazed screens at the east and west sides of the building crossed the promenade, and could be moved to protect the audience from wind, or retracted into the wings to allow promenaders to cross when no band was playing. The seating area was a railed-off section of the promenade, and the seating on the roof above the stage included two copper-covered domes, plus two domes which doubled as refreshment kiosks. The roof is now inaccessible for safety reasons. By the late 1920s the audience area in front of the stage had extended across Tower Gardens to the edge of the footpath and road.
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