Memories of Debenhams

Help us tell the story

A new chapter is beginning for one of Gloucester’s most iconic buildings.
We need your help to celebrate its past.

As part of the transformation of the former Debenhams building into our new City Campus, we’ve launched Memories of Debenhams – a campaign to collect the stories and photographs, that connect generations of local people to this much-loved landmark.

From its origins as Bon Marché to its heyday as Debenhams, this store has been at the heart of Gloucester life since the 1930s.

About the project

In partnership with BBC Radio Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Archives, the University is capturing community memories of Debenhams to:

• Honour the building’s rich heritage
• Explore and share historical artefacts
• Collect oral histories and personal recollections
• Inspire a new generation through creative responses

Get involved

We’re inviting you to share your stories of shopping trips, first jobs, festive displays, friendships, and family moments connected to Debenhams or Bon Marché.

Please submit your story or photos by emailing [email protected] no later than 15 August 2025.

We will be showcasing contributions at an events held in the Autumn, including an exhibition on 13 September 2025 at City Campus. Held as part of Heritage Open Days, this event is free to attend – you can drop in between 10am-3pm.

How your memories will be shared

A team of University of Gloucestershire students is working with Gloucestershire Archives to research the building’s history. They’re exploring:

• City Campus Timeline
  From architectural drawings to media coverage, tracing the evolution of the building over time.
• On The Shop Floor
  Stories of shopping and working at Bon Marché and Debenhams, captured through images, documents, and catalogues.
• At The Heart of the City
  Debenhams as a community hub – from Christmas parades to city celebrations.

If you have any stories of recollections related to any of the above, please get in touch.

Bringing an iconic Gloucester building back to life

In March 2021, University of Gloucestershire announced it had bought Gloucester’s Debenhams building. The aim: to enable its ambitious plans for growth and to work with partners to create a new future for Gloucester.

This iconic building will be brought back to life as a vibrant campus in the heart of the city – a modern centre for teaching, learning and community partnerships.

The graduates we train there will go into jobs that are crucial to the future of our region. It will provide new opportunities for the people who live here and attract new talent.

Shared public access facilities are set to include a new Health, Arts and Wellbeing Centre in partnership with the NHS Integrated Care Board, and a new public library in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council.

The ground floor will also host business engagement activity and a student-led Law Clinic, offering opportunities for training, events and incubation, as well as free legal advice to people in the city centre.

City Campus will open in 2025. It will build on our proud heritage in teacher training by becoming an Institute for Education, as well as home to students and staff from Psychology and Social Work programmes.

Cutting-edge facilities will include simulation spaces, VR labs, an immersive reality room, and an Electroencephalogram (EEG) lab where students can learn about the naturally occurring electric activity taking place in the brain, and monitor how it is affected by various tasks, conditions and other factors. There will also be science and computer labs, art room and multi-purpose spaces for education teaching and group work.

Building a new future for an area that has been in long term decline, the new campus is part of a wider £200 million regeneration of this part of the city together with partners Gloucester City Council and the Reef Group.

“Having the teachers, psychologists and social workers of the future being trained in the heart of the city presents a unique opportunity for strengthening our community connections, through placements, research and outreach activity. We’re proud to be playing a leading role in the regeneration of Gloucester; providing improved access to services and the University for local people, and delivering an excellent student and staff experience.”

Clare Marchant, University of Gloucestershire Vice-Chancellor

Latest updates

You can read the latest updates about City Campus below, where we’ll also share some of the memories we receive as the campaign progresses.