The former Rileys Snooker Hall, located on King Street, stands out to anyone visiting Oldham.

Abandoned snooker table (Image: Razor Twisted Exploring)

Those coming in on the tram will see it as soon as they enter the town centre at King Street, but for years they’ve been unable to see inside.

Also previously known as ‘Romeo’s & Juliet’s,’ and ‘Astoria,’ the building has a varied past, opening in 1908 as the Grand Theatre, it was substantially rebuilt in 1937 as the Gaumont Cinema.

According to the Theatres Trust, the building was then converted to a bowling alley before conversion to a nightclub, and there were plans to demolish it and replace it with a mixed-use development of up to 15 storeys of retail, office, and residential space.

From on top of former Rileys building looking at King Street tram stop (Image: Razor Twisted Exploring)

However, the plans seem to have fallen through, and from 2011 the building was known as the Thunderdome, a training ground for the Rainy City Roller Derby team.

In late 2020 the team was kicked out of the building, which now remains disused, amid news reports it may be bought by the council.

However, the council did not buy it.

According to the Land Registry, the building was last sold on May 30, 2022 for £825,000.

Urban explorer discovers building’s secrets

Urban explorer Razor Twisted Exploring recently went inside the building.

The explorer says he uses no criminal means to access buildings and does not force access.

Abandoned roller derby area (Image: Razor Twisted Exploring)

A video showing the explorer’s visit inside the building will premiere on his YouTube channel on Wednesday at 8pm.

Photos from inside the building, shared on the explorer's Facebook page, show the former Rileys portion of the building looking dilapidated, with abandoned merchandise including packaged food and drink, as well as an open safe, video tapes, and electrical equipment.

Helmets belonging to the Rainy City team can also be seen inside the building.

Bar area (Image: Razor Twisted Exploring)

Speaking to The Oldham Times, the 31-year-old Oldham-based urban explorer said: “I’ve been doing it for about two years now. I lost my first account on YouTube so I had to start again.

“It’s just the fascination of discovering something new, going into these places and taking these photos, filming.

“I never force an entry or take anything, except for pictures and memories. If you can’t get in, you can’t get in.

“It becomes a criminal matter if you do that, so I keep within my rights as I know trespass is only a civil matter.”

Abandoned drinks crates (Image: Razor Twisted Exploring)

He added: “It’s been a building that I’ve passed so many times, so I’ve heard so many stories from my family, friends, people that I’ve bumped into.

“The thing that I like most about it is going in there and documenting these places by filming them, because you never know if they’re going to still be around, or if they’re going to change and it’s nice to look back on that.

“Sharing it with the general public and the community, and hearing their experiences and hearing their memories, it’s sort of bringing this building back to life.”