The Shires Shopping Centre
Encyclopedia
The Shires Shopping Centre is located in Trowbridge
, Wiltshire
.
occupation, including a church and graveyard dated to c. 850 AD, and remnants of the medieval
castle. Most of the area now covered by The Shires became the location of Trowbridge's woollen milling industry between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries. Central to the development is the last operating factory, Salter's Home Mill, which closed in 1982 and is now home to Trowbridge Museum. The Shires and museum opened in 1990.
Current tenants at the centre include Waterstone’s, Greggs
, Iceland
and various other shops. Outside the main entrance of the store is a large Asda
. It includes a 1000-space car park. About 120,000 shoppers visit each week. The Iceland store was converted into a M&S Simply Food in 2006 but was reverted back into an Iceland in 2009.
The Shires was voted Wiltshire's best shopping centre for six years running by readers of a local newspaper.
was granted by West Wiltshire District Council in 2007 for the development of a site on Bythesea Road, to be named "The Shires Gateway". Full permission was granted in March 2008 and development started in summer 2008; the site was said to provide Fashion retailers Next and New Look
, with footwear retailers Brantano were the first tenants, with Brantano opening in August 2009 and Next and New Look in October 2009.
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
History
Excavations prior to the construction of the centre revealed evidence of SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
occupation, including a church and graveyard dated to c. 850 AD, and remnants of the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
castle. Most of the area now covered by The Shires became the location of Trowbridge's woollen milling industry between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries. Central to the development is the last operating factory, Salter's Home Mill, which closed in 1982 and is now home to Trowbridge Museum. The Shires and museum opened in 1990.
Current tenants at the centre include Waterstone’s, Greggs
Greggs
Greggs plc is the largest specialist retail bakery chain in the United Kingdom. It was established in the 1930s as a single shop but has approximately 1,500 outlets....
, Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
and various other shops. Outside the main entrance of the store is a large Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
. It includes a 1000-space car park. About 120,000 shoppers visit each week. The Iceland store was converted into a M&S Simply Food in 2006 but was reverted back into an Iceland in 2009.
The Shires was voted Wiltshire's best shopping centre for six years running by readers of a local newspaper.
The Shires Gateway
Outline planning permissionPlanning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
was granted by West Wiltshire District Council in 2007 for the development of a site on Bythesea Road, to be named "The Shires Gateway". Full permission was granted in March 2008 and development started in summer 2008; the site was said to provide Fashion retailers Next and New Look
New Look (store)
New Look is a British global fashion retailer with a chain of high street shops in Britain, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Malta, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.-History:...
, with footwear retailers Brantano were the first tenants, with Brantano opening in August 2009 and Next and New Look in October 2009.