The Festival is held every year in the Coronation Hall in Ulverston, Cumbria. The Coronation Hall is one of the principal buildings in the historic South Lakeland town of Ulverston. Comprising of a magnificent main hall and balcony, seating over 600, the hall was built to commemorate the Coronation of King George V. It boasts the largest capacity in the area.
The fully equipped theatrical stage has a proscenium arch and dressing rooms. Acoustically it is the ideal place for any performer in speech or music to come together to meet fellow performers in a happy and friendly environment. Located only 30 minutes from the M6, the Hall, affectionately known as the 'Coro', has full disabled access and facilities to all areas (stage included). There is a rest and relaxation area in the supper room.
Ulverston is an old market town in the centre of Furness, with fine buildings and a jumble of cobbled streets. It became a market town in 1280, when Edward I granted a Royal Charter - an event celebrated every September with the Charter Festival.
In the mid 1660's it became a centre of religious activity, when George Fox, founder of the Quakers Movement, lived for a time at Swarthmoor Hall. A thriving maritime community developed when the Canal was constructed in 1796. Ships from Ulverston exported copper, slate and linens around the world. The oldest building in Ulverston is St Mary's Church, with parts dating from AD 1111. It was restored and rebuilt in the 1860's, and in particularly noted for it's Norman door and magnificent stained glass windows.
Sir John Barrow, a founder member of the Royal Geographical Society and an intrepid explorer is honoured by Ulverston's famous landmark, the Hoad monument on Hoad Hill. The monument, which is a copy of the Eddystone Lighthouse, is often open to the public during the summer. From the top are breathtaking panoramic views of Morecambe Bay and the Lake District Fells and the nearby Birkrigg Common with its prehistoric Stone Circle. Ulverston has the world's shortest, widest and deepest canal, a world champion Town Crier and it originated pole vaulting as a competitive sport! Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston and it is home of the world's only Laurel and Hardy museum, close to the Festival venue.
Ulverston's other attractions include Cumbria Crystal, where you can watch the intricate hand crafted process of crystal making and engraving; and Ford Park, a nine-acre green space surrounding Grade II listed buildings. Nearby is Conishead Priory, a splendid Victorian gothic mansion, now a Buddhist centre, which holds historical tours at the weekends. The Railway station, on what is now the Furness line, was once the junction for the branch to Lakeside, and is a fine example of early Victorian railway architecture by the Lancashire architects Paley and Austin.
The Coronation Hall, where the South Cumbria Musical Festival is held, also houses the Tourist Information Centre.