Victorian theatre sold for £77k at auction

The Grand opened in 1899 before closing for good in 1995

A Victorian theatre which has lain empty for almost 30 years has been bought at auction for £77,500.

The Grand Theatre in Doncaster was sold with no reserve by auctioneers Mark Jenkinson, though no details of the buyer have been revealed.

The Grade II-listed theatre originally opened in 1899 and was later used as a bingo hall before closing in 1995.

Speaking ahead of the event, auctioneer James Vandenbrook said he hoped the sale would be "the catalyst for a positive new future for this much-loved Victorian icon".

The building has fallen into a state of disrepair

In 2021 a long-running campaign to bring the property back into use as a performance venue commissioned a feasibility study.

It found that urgent repair work was necessary and that for future use it would have to operate at a greatly reduced capacity from the original 900.

Earlier this year the building was included on the annual Theatres at Risk Register compiled by the Theatres Trust body.

In April, campaigners marked its 125th anniversary by calling for it to be brought back into use.

The former Danum Grammar School for Girls, in Doncaster, was also sold at the auction, going for £1.2m.

The building on Danum Road was later renamed the Mary Woollett Centre and had most recently been used as council offices.