50-559: The Bargate is a Grade I listed medieval gatehouse in the city centre of Southampton , England . Constructed in Norman times as part of the Southampton town walls , it was the main gateway to the city. The building is a scheduled monument , which has served as a temporary exhibition and event space for Southampton Solent University since 2012. The Bargate was built c. 1180, constructed of stone and flint. Alterations were made to
100-541: A covered street, with a new Debenhams store incorporated into it, and the existing Debenhams store would be replaced with a residential tower block. However, these plans were later scrapped and the Debenhams store underwent a multimillion-pound revamp in 2011. In January 2013, all traders inside the Bargate Centre were given notice to leave their premises by BNP Paribas Real Estate , who were attempting to sell
150-403: A redevelopment plan was revealed on 19 May 2016. On 11 January 2017, The Daily Echo newspaper reported that Southampton City Council's Planning Committee had approved plans to demolish the Bargate Centre. The plan is to replace it with a "pedestrianised street" as part of a larger redevelopment in the surrounding area. Demolition work began on 24 November 2017. The Marlands Shopping Centre
200-402: A result of Morrison's withdrawal. The Bargate Shopping Centre, named after Southampton's prominent Bargate landmark, was opened in 1989. The centre focused on being a collection of specialist outlets rather than a mainstream shopping centre, and boasted a number of technology-related stores, a nail salon, a photographic studio and a Sega Park arcade. It was set out over two levels and to
250-565: A time) the Bargate's use as a prison. In 1809 a statue of George III in Roman dress was added the middle of the four windows of the southern side. It replaced a wooden statue of Queen Anne . The statue was a gift to the town from John Petty, 2nd Marquess of Lansdowne and is made from Coade stone . Following the establishment of Southampton's police force in February 1836, the upper room
300-458: A very simple design of a single mall leading to an atrium although there was an internet cafe on the lower ground floor of the atrium . Also off this atrium was the largest unit in the centre, originally occupied by The Reject Shop and then the Sega Park arcade from 1996 until closure. The Bargate Centre also contained a multi-storey car park . Unlike a lot of shopping centres from this era,
350-573: Is not at the geometric centre of the city, but at the southern extremity. The traditional heart of the city is the High Street, which runs from the Town Quay to the Bargate , which was once the northern gateway to the walled city. As the city grew, this primary commercial area spread to the north of the Bargate, into Above Bar Street. Subsequent reclamation of land from Southampton Water to
400-616: Is on the South West Main Line , with it seeing frequent services to the local area as well as London and Manchester. The station is operated by South Western Railway . Southampton Civic Centre The Civic Centre is a municipal building located in the Cultural Quarter area within the city of Southampton , England. It comprises offices occupied by Southampton City Council , the SeaCity Museum ,
450-689: The Guildhall , the Southampton City Art Gallery , and the city library . It was designed by the English architect Ernest Berry Webber in the Classical style in 1929 and constructed over a ten-year period. It was completed in 1939. Pevsner's Hampshire: South describes it as "the most ambitious civic building erected in the provinces in the interwar years". It was designated as a Grade II* listed building in 1980. Since
500-645: The "Old Town" area. The museums include the Tudor House Museum , Medieval Merchant's House , God's House Tower , Solent Sky and the Maritime Museum . The main shopping district of the city is centred on Above Bar Street (part of which is pedestrianised), London Road, High Street and East Street. There are two indoor shopping centres in the area, namely Westquay , and the Marlands Shopping Centre, and two that closed in
550-453: The 16th century the Court leet of Southampton started to meet in the Bargate although it continued to switch between the Bargate and Cutthorn mound on Southampton Common until 1670. Also around the 16th century it is thought that wooden sculptures of lions were added in front of the Bargate. The surviving mayors accounts for 1594 include payments for the construction of new lions and the use of
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#1732771890357600-400: The 1870s, there has been debate in the council over the housing of the borough offices: departments were scattered around the town, making co-ordination and timely response fairly difficult, with the old Audit House opposite Holyrood Church being totally inadequate. After extensive discussions about the proposed civic centre, Herbert Austin-Hall was appointed to assess a design competition for
650-431: The 18th century, five panels containing painted shields and the sundial were added to the building and in the middle of the century the old wooden lions were replaced with new lead sculptures. Additional archways were added in 1764 and 1774. In 1765, a passage was cut through the eastern side of the arch for pedestrians. A further passage through the western side was added later. The construction of these passages ended (for
700-675: The 2010s - Bargate and EaSTreet. West Quay retail park , not to be confused with the similarly named shopping centre, is also located in the city centre. The Marlands Shopping Centre was opened on 5 September 1991. In 2005–2006 the centre was revamped by adding an improved entrance at Above Bar Street and a new information desk. The shopping centre formerly featured a series of fountains but these had to be put out of service due to health and safety reasons in late 2005. Matalan shut its shop on 28 May 2014. On 12 February 2009, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA opened its 18th British store, on West Quay Road. East Street Shopping Centre, branded EaSTreet ,
750-438: The Bargate Centre never had a major refurbishment. While it lacked the mainstream popularity of the nearby Westquay and The Mall Southampton shopping centres, the Bargate Centre was popular with teenagers due to the alternative fashion stores and Sega Park . A local newspaper reported in 2009 that the Bargate Centre was to be demolished, along with the nearby Debenhams store. The Bargate Centre site would be converted into
800-411: The Bargate's demolition. It was reprieved at a subsequent council meeting but the issue arose again in 1914 and 1923. The Bargate was however eventually separated from the adjoining town walls in the 1930s using a scheme previously suggested in 1900. The first separation was made on the east side in 1932 with the second on the west carried out in 1937. Around this time Portland cement was used in works on
850-501: The Bargate. This was later to cause problems as it trapped water within the structure damaging the stones. The Bargate ceased to be used as a court in 1933 with the court functions moving to the law courts in the new Southampton Civic Centre . The monument again served as the police headquarters for the city during the Second World War . In 1951 a museum of local history was opened in the Bargate as part of celebrations to mark
900-551: The Festival of Britain. Among its collection the museum included the painted panels of Bevis of Hampton and Ascapart. The museum later closed. Between 2006 and 2012, following refurbishment funded by the South East England Development Agency, the upper room served as The Bargate Monument Gallery, during which time 42 exhibitions featuring the work of over 250 artists were staged here. In 2016
950-462: The Portland cement mortar that had been used on the structure in the 1930s was removed and replaced with lime mortar . At the same time the parapet was waterproofed to prevent further water entering the structure. In September 2018 corrosion on the lion sculptures caused the tail on one of them to fall off. In November 2020 the lion sculptures were removed to allow them to be repaired. As part of this
1000-470: The Royal Oak pub. The centre was originally anchored by Comet Electrical and Courts furniture store, however the demise of this chain in the late 1980s/early 90s left mainly independent shops and empty units in the centre. A Tandy electronics store (Later T2 Retail) was part of the centre until the early 21st century but again, this store chain no longer exists and the vacated unit remained empty. One of
1050-537: The Westquay stops. There is a National Express coach station on the West Quay retail park, a short walk from the railway station. Ferry services operate along Southampton Water to Hythe and Cowes , from Town Quay . These are operated by Red Funnel . Southampton Central railway station is located in the north west of the city centre area, with the old Southern Terminus in the south east. The station
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#17327718903571100-560: The basement. Following the implementation of the Courts Act 1971 , the former assizes courthouse in the west wing became the venue for hearings of the newly designated Southampton Crown Court. The crown court moved to the new Courts of Justice in London Road in 1986. At the end of the 1980s the fountain from the city's rose garden was moved to a position outside the entrance to the art gallery. The magistrates' courts moved to
1150-532: The building appeared like a "piece of cake" from the air, and that he was going to "cut himself a slice". During a raid in November 1940 twelve bombs were dropped, including a direct hit on the Civic Centre with a 500 lb (230 kg) high explosive. The bomb (which hit around 14:30) penetrated to the lower floors of the art gallery killing 35 people, including 15 children, who were having an art lesson in
1200-406: The building around 1290, when large drum towers were added to the north side, with arrow slit windows. A two-storey extension was made to the south side towards the end of the 13th century, with four windows lighting the upstairs room. Work was also carried out to the interior of the upper room during the 13th century, when the stone fireplaces were installed. The embattled north front was added to
1250-477: The building around 1400. A survey of the town's guns in 1468 reported that the Bargate held two breach loader guns and a brass muzzle loader. It is not clear when the Bargate started being used as a prison but the first records of it date from 1439. In 1458 the prison was used to detain the Genoese population of the town as part of the response to a Genoese attack on an English trading expedition. At some point in
1300-409: The car park's 10th floor on the western side. The West Quay Retail Park is an out-of-town style retail park, but located within the city centre. It includes a number of large warehouse-style stores. The retail park also has a small food section and is also the location of Southampton's geothermal power plant. Southampton Coach Station is also located here. Building work on Westquay began in 1997 as
1350-526: The city centre. However, in late 2014, De Stefano Property Group, the landowners of the demolished site, went into administration and Morrisons announced in March 2015 they were closing loss making stores on the back of poor trading results. Finally in June 2015, Morrisons officially confirmed they would not be building a new store on this site. It was also reported other firms have put in offers to build here as
1400-460: The complex at the time. However, on 28 July 2015, it was revealed that the same consortium had gone into receivership and that a new company called Bargate Ltd has acquired control of the building. They were reported to be considering a mixed-use redevelopment of the land however these plans were at a very early stage. A public consultation on the future of the site began in September 2015 and
1450-696: The complex. BNP Paribas Real Estate were appointed by the Receivers for Parkridge (Bargate) Ltd, the company who bought the Bargate Centre in 2009. Parkridge (Bargate) Ltd were liquidated in late 2011 after running up major losses. BNP Paribas Real Estate stated that the complex had remained open at a "significant loss" for months and closure was required to stem these losses. They also stated some tenants were not being charged any rent for their premises. By mid-April 2013, all remaining tenants had vacated their premises. The Bargate Centre and its multi storey car park finally closed on 10 June 2013. However, in 2015,
1500-436: The end of the 17th century and early 18th. The shields have repeatedly suffered from decay, due to damp. The original shields largely decayed away by the early 19th century. They were replaced by shields made from Caen stone . These shields were in turn damaged by damp and were heavily decayed by the start of the 20th century, at which point they were patched with mortar held together by iron. These repairs again failed, and work
1550-445: The former Daily Echo building, two large office blocks (Arundel Towers) and Pirelli Cable Works were demolished to make way for the centre. The centre was opened on 28 September 2000. This shopping centre has an area of 800,000 square feet (70,000 m2) of retail space (74,000 m ) and contains around a hundred shop units. Some years after the original shopping centre opened, an additional development - initially known as Watermark WestQuay -
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1600-441: The longest established shops in the centre was Teville's music shop which was one of the only musical instrument shops in the city (after the brief arrival and swift demise of nearby SoundControl. The other music shop is Beckett's on Commercial Road, near Central Station). The final sole occupant of East Street Shopping Centre was a SCRATCH outlet (a Southampton-based charity) until they relocated in 2012. The centre remained empty but
1650-523: The multi-storey car park was re-opened for use under the management of National Car Parks . On 26 September 2014, the Daily Echo newspaper reported on a developer's proposal to demolish the Bargate Centre building and replace it with a new street containing shops and flats. However this proposal remained on hold due to an impasse between the developer and the American investment consortium who owned
1700-518: The new building. Following the competition, Ernest Berry Webber was chosen to design the centre in the Classical style with a budget of just under £400,000. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of York on 1 July 1930. The first block to be opened, known as the south wing , contained the municipal offices. Some of the material dug out during the construction of the south wing was used to fill in an old reservoir on Southampton Common as part of
1750-407: The northwest entrance and escalators and glass lifts connecting them in the atrium, at the south of the centre. Unlike most of its contemporaries, the Marlands Shopping Centre does not contain a car park of any kind – the designated car park for the centre is accessed by going through Southampton's unusual ASDA supermarket which is on a slope – the supermarket's ground floor on the eastern side links to
1800-553: The opening ceremony, and was then repeated every four hours thereafter. The third block, known as the east wing , contained Southampton Guildhall . Work on the Guildhall (the east wing) began in March 1934. The Guildhall was intended as a social location for municipal functions. The Guildhall was opened by Earl of Derby on 13 February 1937. The fourth block, known as the north wing , contained Southampton City Art Gallery and Southampton Central Library. This began later than
1850-528: The others, and late alterations to the designs were required to incorporate a public library , that was not originally planned for. The expansion of this wing led to an increase in costs for the project, but the budget increase was approved by Parliament. This was opened in 1939. During the Southampton Blitz , Hermann Göring , head of the Luftwaffe , targeted the Civic Centre. He remarked that
1900-407: The previous internal structure was removed and replaced with a stainless steel version. They were subsequently returned to public display in March 2021 having repainted in what is believed to be their original colours. There are eleven Heraldic Shields on the north side of the Bargate. Aside from the crosses of Saints George and Andrew, they are the coats of arms of leading families of the town from
1950-524: The process of converting it into a paddling pool. It was opened by the Duke of York, and his wife, the Duchess of York , on 8 November 1932. The second block, known as the west wing , contained the law courts and the police headquarters. It also contained "Kimber's Tower", which is 157 feet (48 m) high and named after Sir Sidney Kimber, who had chaired the civic centre development committee. The block
2000-538: The west of the High Street meant further expansion in that direction, forming an area now known as West Quay and dominated by the modern Westquay shopping centre. When it opened, Westquay was the largest city-centre shopping centre in Europe, with around 100 shops. The area is bounded in the north by the Southampton Central Parks . There are several museums in the city centre, especially around
2050-415: The word new suggests that lion sculptures existed before that point. The accounts also mention a pair of paintings featuring Bevis of Hampton and Ascapart on wooden panels. These appear to have been placed on the northern side of the building as they are mentioned as being present by a visitor in 1635. A bell was added to the southwest corner of the building to 1579. The current bell is inscribed 1605 and
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2100-429: Was Southampton's earliest indoor shopping centre. The centre was built at the eastern end of East Street and blocked off the street itself as it was built over the top of it. The centre was constructed in the 1970s and due to its location – outside the main city centre shopping district – was never commercially successful. As well as the shopping centre, the development included a large office tower, rooftop car park and
2150-499: Was added housing a leisure complex including a cinema and several restaurants. There are two main termini for bus services, these are Vincent Walk and Westquay/Albion Place. The city's main operator is Bluestar . Most services pass through Westquay/Albion Place and terminate at Vincents walk. However, services to the Waterside (Totton and Fawley) as well as Salisbury Reds services terminate at Westquay. Unilink also passes through
2200-521: Was again carried out in the 1990s, but these repairs again decayed. Another attempt to repair the shields is planned in the aftermath of the 2016 mortar replacement. Southampton City Centre Southampton City Centre is the commercial and organisational centre of the City of Southampton , and the transport hub of the city. Because Southampton is on the South Coast of England, the city centre
2250-448: Was constructed to a PostModern design, which was described at the time of opening by one critic as looking like "something made of Lego". The centre was built on the site of Southampton's bus station (the city is now without such a facility), a popular rose garden and some terraced housing. Some of the facades of the houses were reconstructed in the centre's atrium. The centre is laid out across two levels, with escalators connecting them at
2300-608: Was opened by Viscount Sankey , the Lord Chancellor, on 3 November 1933. The tower contained a clock and nine bells, manufactured and installed by Gillett & Johnston of Croydon. As well as chiming the Westminster quarters , and striking the hour on the largest bell (which weighed 68 cwt ), the mechanism was designed to play the hymn tune Our God, Our Help in Ages Past ; this initially took place at noon, during
2350-463: Was opened on 5 September 1991. At the time, it was the largest shopping centre in Southampton and the first significant shopping centre in the city (East Street Shopping Centre being well out of the way of the main shopping district hence never being very successful and the Bargate Centre being much smaller), however it is now dwarfed by Westquay, which opened in 2000. The Marlands Shopping Centre
2400-538: Was still open to the public who could use the car park facilities and the various access points. In November 2012, Arcadian Estates were granted permission by Southampton City Council to demolish East Street Shopping Centre as part of a £30 million redevelopment. In mid 2013, the centre was closed to the public and demolition began in October 2013. The original redevelopment was for a new Morrisons foodstore and an open pedestrian thoroughfare re-linking St Mary's back to
2450-438: Was used as a prison The current guildhall within the Bargate was constructed in 1852 and was designed to be used as a criminal court. In addition to this the Bargate continued to be the site of meetings of Southampton's court leet until 1856. In 1881 the panels featuring Bevis of Hampton and Ascapart were moved into the building for protection. By 1899, the increase in road traffic and the introduction of trams led to proposals for
2500-413: Was used as the city's curfew and alarm bell. In 1644 the panels featuring Bevis of Hampton and Ascapart were repainted. The room above the gate itself was probably added shortly after 1400 and the town steward books mention a banquet held there in 1434. It was originally used as the city's guildhall, until the 1770s. It was at this point that the city began to grow to the north of the gate. Also during
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