The Armstrong is coming back!

If you’ve walked up Thornbury High Street recently, you might have noticed some activity along Chapel Street. After a long period of quiet, The Armstrong (formerly known as The Armstrong Hall) is coming back to life. Scaffolding now surrounds the building, contractors are hard at work, and there’s a real sense that life is returning to this much-loved site. 

For many people in Thornbury, The Armstrong holds a lot of memories. It was a place for theatre, music, screenings and community events - somewhere people gathered, performed, celebrated and spent time together. The building closed its doors in 2020 due to Covid and lockdowns, but the importance of the space never really faded.

Thornbury Community and Arts, are a local charity working to bring The Armstrong back into use as a welcoming, sustainable space for the whole community. Our aim is to look after the building’s history while making sure it can support creativity, connection and cultural life in Thornbury for years to come.

Work is now well underway. Inside the historic Cossham Hall, restoration is progressing carefully, and improvements are being made to key areas including the foyer, bar, kitchen and toilets. Plans are also in place to redesign the front courtyard as a greener, more inviting space.

As part of this work, the Main Hall will be renamed The Lansdown Hall, recognising a generous gift from Maggie Lansdown that has helped make this stage of the project possible.

The next phase of work will focus on the main hall, stage and dressing rooms, helping to create a fully accessible venue ready for performances, events and community use. It’s an important step in turning The Armstrong into a place that can be used and enjoyed by as many people as possible.

This project is about more than restoring a building. It’s about reopening a shared space and giving it a future at the heart of Thornbury.

We’re starting this blog to share updates as the project continues - the progress we’re making, the challenges we face, and the people involved along the way. If you’d like to find out more or get involved, head to our website here: https://www.thearmstrong.co.uk/get-involved 

We’re looking forward to sharing this journey with you.