City Campus to host events as part of Gloucester Heritage Open Days

On Saturday 13 September 2025, City Campus will host a number of events as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme, run by Gloucester Civic Trust.

This year’s programme highlights the national theme of architecture and will include a range of events, tours, walks, talks and music taking place at venues across Gloucester, celebrating its 2000-year history.

Reflecting this theme, City Campus will be hosting a talk introduced by Dr Peter Warry, University Council Member and expert on Roman ceramic building materials, and delivered by Neil Holbrook, Chief Executive of Cotswold Archaeology. The talk will showcase the five most significant discoveries from their recent excavation at the site, offering fascinating insights into its layered history.

Later in the day there will be an opportunity to hear from Adam Coleman, former Chief Executive of Gloucester Culture Trust, about the history of the building in the city.

The day also marks the culmination of the Memories of Debenhams campaign. Run in partnership with Gloucestershire Archives, University of Gloucestershire students have been researching the building’s history and collecting stories of the much-loved former Debenhams store, submitted by the public.

A part of Gloucester’s high street since the 1930s, the building holds a special place in the hearts of many residents. From shopping trips and first jobs, to meeting friends and marking milestones, generations of local people have shared their stories about the building at the heart of the city.

Visitors can drop in at City Campus between 10:30-15:30 on Saturday 13 September to view the materials collected through the campaign, as well as a ‘finds table’ put together by Cotswold Archaeology.

Clair Greenaway, Senior Lecturer in Events Management from the School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences, said: “We are incredibly proud to be participating in the England’s largest festival of history and culture. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to visit the site and learn more about the building’s intriguing past.

“We know how important the building is to local people and we want to honour those connections. Through the Memories of Debenhams campaign, visitors are invited to reflect on their personal memories of the building while exploring the collection of materials gathered by the University’s students and Gloucestershire Archives.”

The historic site has now become home to the University’s Education, Psychology and Social work programmes, and will offer shared public access facilities including a new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre delivered in partnership with the NHS Integrated Care Board, and a new public library in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council.

Gloucester Heritage Open Days runs from Friday 12–Sunday 14 September, with City Campus hosting events on Saturday 13 September. All events are free to access, however some require prior booking.