Plans
We will convert the derelict 16th century pub the King of Prussia into an art centre including a cinema theatre with almost 100 seats, an art gallery and artists' studios and a cafe bar with an excellent restaurant.
The King of Prussia arts centre, working with the Dartmoor Whisky Distillery and the Bell Inn, will bring new life to the top end of Fore Street, Bovey Tracey.
On 22 March we were granted planning permission and listed building consent. Because the King of Prussia is Grade II listed, and our planned works include demolition of some listed out-buildings, the planners took great care to ensure that what we put back is better and enhances the 16th century heritage building on Fore Street.
Our plans for the old building will enhance and present the heritage aspects, whilst removing Victorian and modern additions at the back of the building. We have already removed some partition walls and discovered an Elizabethan fireplace, and revealed what is left of a massive fireplace on the ground floor that was knocked around in Victorian times. We have applied for grants for the refurbishment of the heritage building and we expect to start work on this in July once these grant applications have been considered.
The historic building will house the art gallery on the ground floor and 4 artists’ studios upstairs. At lunchtime and in the evenings, Café Paradiso will offer a restaurant service in the gallery so you will be able to have a nice meal whilst admiring the paintings – a 3-course daily menu. The café will also offer an all-day snack menu, beverages, a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays, afternoon tea, children’s dishes, and an events menu.
Various out-buildings at the back will be removed and a cinema theatre with almost 100 seats, Cinema Paradiso, will be built. When it is used for live performance some of the front seats can be removed to make the space suitable for the performance. We plan to offer movies in their third or fourth week of release, two showings a day.
Linking the new cinema theatre with the historic building will be a glass-roofed atrium housing Café Paradiso and the toilets, including disabled access toilets.
See our plans below.
Documents to download
