Whitefriars Shopping Centre
| Location | Canterbury, Kent, England |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 2004 |
| Developer | Land Securities LTD |
| No. of stores and services | 70 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 |
| No. of floors | 3 |
| Parking | 530 spaces in a designated car park. |
| Website |
www |
Whitefriars Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in Canterbury, Kent, England. It is the biggest shopping centre in East Kent.
Before Whitefriars
The Whitefriars Shopping Quarter is situated on the site of the former multi-storey car park and Ricemans department store. Following the demolition of these buildings a new multi storey carpark and a Fenwick department store were constructed.
The "Big Dig" archaeological excavation was carried out on the site by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in conjunction with Channel 4's television programme Time Team from 2000–2003, unearthing mostly Roman and Mediaeval finds.[1]
The stores
The centres's main stores are Tesco Metro, Marks & Spencer, Fenwick, Boots, Primark and Next. Other chain stores at the centre are Topshop, Build-A-Bear Workshop, H. Samuel, Goldsmiths, Beaverbrooks, H&M, Zara, Clarks, Republic, Cafe Nero, Ernest Jones, River Island, Sunglass Hut International, Monsoon, EAT., 3 and Clinton Cards.[2] The Whitefriars Quarter also includes the world's first M&S Kitchen.[3]
Whitefriars Structure
The Whitefriars shopping centre is made up of shops mainly spread over two floors, but with some shops over three floors. The multi-storey car park is in the same block as Tesco, with two bridges between the carpark, [Primark] and Marks and Spencers. The layout of the centre consists mainly of squares, namely Rose Square, Clocktower Square and Whitefriars Square, small streets and arcade. An older part of the centre is part of the high street. The three floors are connected by two main lifts, in the stair room and Fenwicks. There are public toilets and facilities in Fenwick, Eat, Cafe Nero, Costa and Marks and Spencer.
Marlowe Arcade
The Marlowe arcade is the only part of the centre with a full roof, and contains more specialised shops. It is also home to Whitefriars Pattieserie and a small eyebrow threading clinic. It is situated near the Canterbury Tales,a popular tourist attraction. In late 2012, it was announced that the arcade would be renamed 'Whitefriars Arcade', a move which has received criticism from some locals.
Transport
Whitefriars Shopping Centre is adjacent to the Canterbury Bus Station which contains links to Thanet, Dover, Folkestone, Ashford, Bluewater and London. Cycles UK offers cycle hire around the city and is situated next to a taxi rank. A park and ride system operates between three main suburban areas.The centre is also situated near Canterbury East railway station, and a short walk from Canterbury West, with high speed connections to London.