Eastgate Shopping Centre, Gloucester facts for kids
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| Location | Gloucester, England |
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| Coordinates | 51°51′52″N 2°14′50″W / 51.8643941°N 2.24733611°W |
| Address | 22 Eastgate Street |
| Opening date | July 3, 1973 |
| Developer | Land Improvements Ltd. |
| Owner | Gloucester City Council |
| No. of stores and services | 53 |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Parking | 380 (20 disabled spaces / 18 parent and child spaces) |
The Eastgate Shopping Centre is a two-story indoor shopping mall in Gloucester, England. It was once known as The Mall Eastgate and The Mall Gloucester. The centre first opened its special entrance, called a portico, on July 3, 1973.
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History of Eastgate Shopping Centre
The area where the Eastgate Shopping Centre now stands was originally a market. This market first opened in 1786. In 1855, the market on Eastgate Street was rebuilt and made more modern.
The indoor shopping centre was built between 1966 and 1974. This was part of a big project to redevelop Gloucester city centre. The plans for this project were created by G.A Jellicoe in 1962. Many old buildings, including the Bell Hotel and medieval streets, were taken down to make way for the new centre.
The Eastgate Shopping Centre has a large indoor street. It has a ninety-degree turn in the middle. This street runs from Eastgate Street to Southgate Street. There is also a side entrance to Greyfriars. Shops line both sides of this indoor street. When it first opened, the centre also had a new market hall. A large Woolworths store was also part of the centre. It had entrances from both Eastgate and Southgate streets.
The centre was connected to the Longsmith Street and Kings Walk car parks. There was once a footbridge on the second floor. It went over Eastgate Street to connect Eastgate and Kings Walk shopping centres. However, this bridge is now closed.
In 1994, the shopping centre was updated. Some of the support columns were decorated. The special Beatrix Potter clock and figures were added near the market. The old cemetery from Greyfriars, which started in 1231, is now located under the Eastgate shopping centre.
Over the years, the shopping centre has changed owners several times. The Mall Fund bought it in 2004. Then, Rockspring Property Investment Managers and The Other Retail Group bought it in 2010. In January 2019, Gloucester City Council bought the shopping centre.
On March 23, 2009, a radio station called Heart Gloucestershire started broadcasting. Its studios were located inside the shopping centre.
Future of the Shopping Centre
Between February 2018 and June 2018, the first floor of the shopping centre was renovated. This floor was turned into a Digital Retail Innovation Centre. This centre tests and develops new digital ideas. These ideas include things like Robots and Holograms. The goal is to make the shopping centre a Digital Innovation Hub. Eleven small new shop units were also built.
By 2025, the centre was planned to become a national hub. It would develop Holographic Virtual Employees and Robotic Security Guards. Gloucestershire's Local Enterprise Partnership program provided £400,000 to help fund this project.
The Portico Entrance
The Portico entrance was built in 1856 by Medland & Maberly. It was originally the entrance to the Eastgate market. In 1973, the portico was moved about 25 feet down Eastgate Street. It then became the main entrance to the new Eastgate Shopping Centre.
The portico is made from large, classical stone blocks. It is built in a grand Italianate style. The outside has three arches. There are two central pillars framed by a Corinthian half-column. Two end pillars are framed by rectangular columns. All the pillars stand on pedestals.
Above the arches, there is a crowning pediment. A clock is in the middle of this pediment. On either side of the clock are seated figures. These figures are sculpted in high relief. Father time is on the right side. Ceres, a goddess, is on the left. The crowning pediment supports an arched bell turret. This turret is flanked by scrolls and topped with another pediment.
There used to be pairs of iron gates under each arch of the Portico. However, these were not put back when the portico was rebuilt after being moved. In 2015, the original iron gates were found in a council yard. They were found by the Gloucester Rotary Club. The portico became a grade II-listed building in 1975. This means it is a historically important structure.
The Beatrix Potter Clock
In 1994, during the shopping centre's redevelopment, a large fish tank was removed. This tank was inside the centre, next to the market entrance. The Beatrix Potter clock was added to replace it.
The clock featured moving figures from the story "The Tailor of Gloucester". These included an animated tailor, mice, an owl, and a cat. It took about fifteen months to build. Every hour, the clock would chime. Then music would play, and all the figures would move. Many people would gather to watch it.
In 2013, another redevelopment of the shopping centre took place. The clock, which had been there since 1994, was removed. A petition was started to save the clock. However, the shopping centre decided to donate it to the Pied Piper Appeal, a charity.
