Friars Square
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 Entrance to the bus station | |
 | |
| Location | Aylesbury, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°48′54″N 0°48′48″W / 51.8150°N 0.8133°W |
| Opening date | 1967 (original Friars Square) 1993 (new Friars Square) |
| Management | Andy Margieson |
| Owner | Buckinghamshire Council |
| Architect | Stanley Bragg Architects |
| No. of stores and services | 49[1] |
| No. of anchor tenants | 1 (House of Fraser) |
| Total retail floor area | 283,000 square feet (26,300 m2) |
| Website | friarssquareshopping |
Friars Square is a shopping centre located in the town centre of Aylesbury. The landlord is the Buckinghamshire Council, and managed by Montagu Evans.[2]
The shopping centre is a mixed-use development, incorporating elements of a previous shopping centre development of the same name. Friars Square includes over 60 shops and restaurants, offices, 400-space multi-storey car park and bus station. The Cloisters indoor market was closed in 2012.[3] to make store space for H&M and space for a gym The centre is anchored by House of Fraser.
History[edit]
The original Friars Square (or Friar's Square) was created in the 1960s as the Aylesbury Town Centre Redevelopment. It transformed the south-west part of the town centre including the Market Square and Silver Street areas. The first phase opened in 1967, it included a number of shops in an open-air pedestrian only area, and included a new location for the town's market.[4] The second phase which included Woolworths and the bus station opened in 1969.[5]
The Cadena cafe, which later became a Wimpy, was housed in a modern architectural pavilion over the open market.[6]
The current shopping centre was formally opened in 1993 at a cost of £70m, following the closure and extension of the previous town centre development of the same name. The redevelopment was designed by Stanley Bragg Architects.[7] The large Woolworth building was integrated into the development, to house the new anchor store (now House of Fraser) and the library.
In 2007 the centre was sold by F&C Property Asset Management to Multiplex.[8] In 2011, ownership passed to Royal Bank of Scotland's West Register asset division, as the newly merged Brookfield Multiplex subsequently moved out of the UK retail market following its acquisition of Multiplex.[9] RBS had previously provided the debt for Multiplex to buy Friars Square for £89.5 million.
In 2012, the vacant office building was proposed to be converted into 50 apartments.[10]
In January 2013, a branch of clothing chain H&M opened in Friars Square,[11] on the site of the old madhouse clothing store. The HMV store which was closed on 11 February 2012 office shoes now occupies the store.[12] In September 2013, a branch of rival clothing chain Topshop opened in Friars Square, in a newly constructed part in the middle of the main shopping mall.[13] That closed down, and JD Sports now occupies the space.
In October 2017, a branch of Smiggle specialising in stationery products opened.[14]
In June 2018 the Friars Square security team won Security Team of the Year title at the annual SCEPTRE Awards at the Dorchester in London.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ "Shops". Friars Square Shopping Centre.
- ^ "Friars Square gets fresh boss for New Year plans". Bucks Herald. 17 December 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Traders 'devastated' at Friars Square shopping centre plans". BBC News. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Transformation of the town centre". Buckinghamshire County Council. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Aylesbury is nostalgically famous for it but neighbours Wycombe get Wimpy return". The Bucks Herald. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Enjoying a Wimpy at Friars' Square". Bucks Herald. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Friars Square". Stanley Bragg Architects. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "New Friars Square owner". Bucks Herald. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Management shift for shopping centre". The Scotsman. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "New Friars Square Shopping Centre apartment complex given approval". Bucks Herald. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "It's all the fashion! Shoppers flock to H&M opening in Aylesbury". www.bucksherald.co.uk.
- ^ "HMV closure in Aylesbury signals end of an era for the humble compact disc". www.bucksherald.co.uk.
- ^ "Aylesbury Topshop will now open in September". www.bucksherald.co.uk.
- ^ "Stationery chain Smiggle opens in Aylesbury". Mix 96. October 6, 2017.
- ^ "Friars Square has the best shopping centre security team in the country". www.bucksherald.co.uk.