- The Shires Shopping Centre
The Shires Shopping Centre is located in
Trowbridge ,Wiltshire .History
Excavations prior to the construction of the centre revealed evidence of Saxon occupation, including a church and graveyard dated to c. 850
AD , and remnants of the medieval castle.cite web | url = http://www.localauthoritypublishing.co.uk/councils/trowbridge/history.html | title = The History of Trowbridge | accessdate = 2008-09-01] 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. [cite web | url = http://www.wiltshire-web.co.uk/history/darren.htm | title = Trowbridge Museum | accessdate = 2008-09-01 ] The Shires and museum opened in 1990. [cite web | url = http://www.localhistories.org/trowbridge.html | title=A BRIEF HISTORY OF TROWBRIDGE | accessdate = 2008-09-01]Current tenants at the centre include
Waterstone’s ,Asda , and Marks & Spencer Simply Food, and it includes a 1000-space car park. About 120,000 shoppers visit each week.The Shires was voted Wiltshire's best shopping centre for five years running by readers of a local newspaper.
The Shires Gateway
Outline
planning permission was granted byWest Wiltshire District Council in 2007 for the development of a site on Bythesea Road, to be named "The Shires Gateway". [cite web | url = http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/index/news/news-article.htm?newsid=26170 | title = Transforming Trowbridge plans on Show | date = 17 July 2007 | accessdate = 2008-09-06] Full permission was granted in March 2008 and development started in summer 2008; the site will provide quote|not only much needed retail but will also see a new pedestrian street and public courtyard linking Bythesea Road and Stallard Street with boutique shops and cafes on the ground level and offices and apartments above. It has been announced that fashion retailers Next and New Look, with footwear retailers Brantano will be the first tenants. [cite web | url = http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/index/news/news-article.htm?newsid=31426 | title = Next amongst top three names for Shires Gateway | date = 29 May 2008 | accessdate = 2008-09-06]References
External Links
* [http://www.shirescentre.co.uk/ The Shires Homepage]
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