It’s one of Southend’s most famous landmarks, but while the roads around the Kursaal pleasure park on the seafront may have changed many times since the first roundabout was built there, the Kursaal’s familiar facade and dome is still very much recognisable.
In 1916, a zoo, which was home to bears, tigers and wolves, even opened at the fouracre site, but this closed when the Second World War broke out.
Father and son Alfred and Bernard Wiltshire-Tollhurst bought the land in 1893 and went on to build the iconic Edwardian-inspired Kursaal building, off Marine Parade, which became a popular dance hall.
The building is nowhome to a bowling alley, casino, supermarket and function suite.
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