Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
From malthouse infested with rats to £13m theatre
A former malthouse once riddled with leaks, dead pigeons and rats is now a “hidden gem” following a dramatic transformation. When the King’s School bought the building off St Stephen’s Road, Canterbury, from car dealership Barretts 11 years ago, it had fallen into disrepair. But following a pricey makeover, the historic site – which was used more than a century ago to help brew beer – has been transformed into a £13 million performing arts centre equipped with a 334-seat theatre. Despite opening in 2019, Covid has hindered its launch, prompting manager Nina Hunt to label it one of the city’s “hidden gems”.
“When Barretts moved out, it had been empty for a long time and became more and more derelict,” she said.
“When the school took it over it
was gloriously ‘70s in its layout and full of leaks, dead pigeons and everything else. There were broken windows and rats around the place.
“We had a big clear-out and then the restoration took place. “It was a substantial investment for the school. The facilities we had weren’t adequate enough, and they wanted a strong arts facility to be able to offer their students.”
The malthouse was erected by a Kentish brewery in the 1890s. Its use waned over the following decades, resulting in its sale in the 1960s to Barretts, which converted the site into a car servicing and repair centre. Private school King’s launched its bid to transform the decrepit structure six years ago.
It is now home to dance studios, science labs, classrooms, recital rooms and a canteen – as well as the plush theatre. “You’ve also got the Malthouse sports hall and a sports facility that’s made up of a fencing piste. It provides some of the best fencing in the area, as well as outdoor space,” Ms Hunt continued. “Then we’ve got four cottages on-site which house staff.” Three of the building’s rooms have wedding licences, while much of the space has also been made available to local dance clubs and other schools. An 80-pupil International
School – comprising 34 en-suite bedrooms, staff flats and teaching facilities – was also erected from scratch in 2019. In all, the scheme cost about £28 million. The revamped three-and-ahalf-acre plot has scooped gongs at the Canterbury Society’s Design Awards and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) South East Awards.
And now Ms Hunt is setting her sights on hosting more than 50 shows over the next nine months, having already put on a number of pantos and ballets. She says the school’s aim is “to create a community-loved venue that has a range of professional and amateur productions that are accessible for the masses”. “Because of the pandemic, it’s been a very slow wake-up for the building. But since October, we’ve really come to life. We’ve restored it to its Victorian glory - it’s a feat of architecture. It’s absolutely a hidden gem.”