C O N T E X T 1 3 1 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3 3 been reused as cafés, museums or holiday lets and, in some cases, moved to new locations, often on heritage railways. The signal box is a building type unique to railways, although with a precursor in the shape of the semaphore towers erected during the Napoleonic Wars. Signal boxes originated in the 1840s, with signalling platforms accompanied by a basic hut or cabin provided for the men operating railway signals. The signal box as we know it today – a covered and glazed structure housing levers which control both signals and points – was the invention of John Saxby, who pioneered the mechanical interlocking between points and signals which he patented in 1856. £45,000 fine for cinema SimonWent writes: The owner of a listed cinema has been fined £45,000 for unauthorised works (reduced from £50,000 due to a guilty plea, therefore negating the need for a trial). He also had to pay £28,000 costs and if he does not pay within eight months he will serve 18 months imprisonment. The former 1930s Regal Cinema on the Richmond Road in Kingston upon Thames is a fine Grade II listed building to the designs of the well-known cinema architect, Robert Cromie. In January 2012, I was contracted by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to write an expert witness statement in relation to unauthorised works without listed building consent. The works consisted of the entire removal of the raked auditorium floor to an approximate depth of 200cm. The main floor of the whole building had been the subject of some major and extensive excavations. This was clear by the fact that the floor was now bare earth and the bottom of the plaster on the walls could be seen. The floor of the building is specifically mentioned in the statutory list description: ‘Five bay hall with sprung floor’. This was an intrinsic part of the character of the listed building, as it contributed strongly towards its historic development. Now that it had been completely removed, it was impossible to analyse this floor, and the bare earth floor inside the listed building and the large step down has caused an extensive level of harm. Several features of the building make significant contributions to its historic character; the floor was a striking characteristic of the building. The excavations have resulted in a loss Historic buildings in theYorkshire Dales have featured in an exhibition in theYorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Bainbridge office.The photographs, selected from the Yorkshire Dales Historic Environment Record, were originally taken to illustrate the day-to-day work of the authority’s historic environment team. The former Regal Cinema in Kingston upon Thames: its floor was a striking characteristic of the building.
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