Temperance Billiard Hall, Chelsea

The Temperance Billiard Hall was built between nineteen twelve and nineteen fourteen to provide a social environment that mirrored the appeal of a public house without serving alcohol. Its architect, Thomas Retford Somerford, designed the building in a flamboyant free Queen Anne style to compete directly with the visual dominance of traditional pubs. By using decorative elements like patterned tiles, plasterwork, and stained glass, the hall offered an opulent and respectable alternative for leisure activities during the height of the temperance movement.