Pentagon Shopping Centre

Pentagon Shopping Centre, commonly called The Pentagon, is a town-centre retail and leisure complex in Chatham, Kent, England. It was developed between 1973 and 1975 as part of a major redevelopment of Chatham town centre, through a collaboration between County and District Properties Limited and Chatham Borough Council. The centre opened on 30 June 1975 and takes its name from Pentagon Court, its distinctive five-sided central courtyard. The development replaced a dense mix of streets, houses, small shops and light-industrial premises, including parts of George Street, Nelson Road, Fair Row, Solomons Road and Avondale Terrace. The redevelopment also displaced the Chatham premises of Mackays, a long-established book printer whose site extended between Chatham High Street and the area now occupied by The Brook multi-storey car park. Mackays subsequently moved to Lordswood, south of Chatham. The centre’s construction formed part of a broader post-war modernization of the town and introduced a large, purpose-built retail environment connected to offices, parking and bus infrastructure. Architecturally, the complex reflects the brutalist design language common to the period. Orange-red brick and grey concrete are used across the Pentagon, the adjoining Mountbatten House office block and The Brook multi-storey car park. Mountbatten House has been underused for much of the complex’s history, while the shopping centre itself has undergone several changes in layout and use. The original internal bus station, once integrated into the complex through ramps and pedestrian links, was later superseded by Chatham Waterfront Bus Station. Local bus services now use the Waterfront facility, adjacent to the Pentagon. The Pentagon is spread across two principal floors and includes Pentagon Court, Valenciennes Square and Fair Row. Scenic lifts and escalators connect the floors, while some retailers occupy units extending across more than one level. The centre has hosted more than 70 shops and approximately seven leisure facilities, covering high-street fashion, footwear, pharmacy and health and beauty, homeware, food-to-go, cafés, restaurants and entertainment. A bowling alley occupies premises associated with the former Scamps and later Van Damme nightclub. The complex also includes a taxi rank at The Brook. Its retail mix has changed over time. Longstanding and former tenants have included WHSmith, Superdrug, C&A, the Co-op Department Store, Wimpy, Bejams, Wilko, Dolcis, Ravel, Saxon Shoes, Birthdays, John Menzies, Jones the Newsagents and independent retailers. WHSmith, formerly an important anchor, closed on 15 April 2015 after its lease expired; DEICHMANN later occupied the former unit. Boots has also reduced the size of its premises, with part of the former store repurposed as an NHS surgery. The centre was remodelled in the late 1990s, removing features such as the fountain, seating and some original circulation elements and adding glass lifts, escalators, new ceilings and improved lighting. In the 2020s, the Pentagon has remained part of wider regeneration and adaptation in Chatham town centre. Mountbatten House has been undergoing conversion to flats, while parts of Valenciennes Square have been associated with new amenities including toilets, Ascend Coworking and the James Williams Healthy Living Centre. The centre faces competition from larger regional destinations such as Bluewater and Lakeside, but continues to function as a local shopping, service, food and leisure hub for Chatham.

The Pentagon Shopping Centre was conceived as a central element of the redevelopment of Chatham town centre during the 1970s. County and District Properties Limited worked with Chatham Borough Council on a scheme that replaced several older streets and properties with a purpose-built retail complex, office accommodation and structured parking. Construction took place from 1973 to 1975, and the centre opened on 30 June 1975. The site had previously contained residential properties, independent shops and light-industrial uses. Streets and areas affected by the redevelopment included George Street, Nelson Road, Fair Row, part of Solomons Road and Avondale Terrace. Mackays, a Chatham book-printing company with premises between the High Street and the present-day Brook car park, was among the businesses displaced. Its operations moved to a new facility in Lordswood, south of Chatham. The name comes from Pentagon Court, the development’s five-sided main courtyard. Other internal or adjacent areas include Valenciennes Square and Fair Row. The complex was built in the era’s brutalist style, using orange-red brick and grey concrete. Mountbatten House, a high-rise office block, and The Brook multi-storey car park were developed as related parts of the same town-centre environment. Mountbatten House was subsequently underused for much of its existence. The original complex included a Pentagon Bus Station, connected to the shopping centre by pedestrian routes and ramps. This function later moved to Chatham Waterfront Bus Station, which is next to the Pentagon and now handles local bus services. The former internal bus-station infrastructure has been altered and repurposed over time. The Pentagon initially accommodated major national chains and local businesses. Superdrug and WHSmith were among its notable early anchor tenants. Other past occupiers included C&A, the Co-op Department Store, Wimpy, Bejams, Wilko, Dolcis, Ravel, Saxon Shoes, Birthdays, John Menzies, Jones the Newsagents and smaller independent retailers. The complex also contained evening venues, including the Blue Grotto Wine Bar and the nightclub first known as Scamps and later as Van Damme. The nightclub premises later became a bowling alley. During the late 1990s, the centre was remodelled to update its appearance and circulation. The fountain, seating and several dated 1970s features were removed. Glass lifts, escalators, updated ceilings and brighter lighting were introduced, although substantial portions of the original flooring remained. Earlier children’s play structures were also removed or replaced as the centre evolved. Tenant requirements have continued to change. WHSmith reduced its premises to a ground-floor operation in 2004 and ultimately left the centre in 2015 when its lease expired. DEICHMANN later occupied the former unit. Boots similarly reduced its footprint, with part of its former space used for an NHS surgery. The Pentagon has also retained food, café, service and leisure uses, including a bowling facility and dining areas associated with food outlets. By 2025, the shopping centre formed part of a wider process of adaptation in Chatham. Mountbatten House was being converted to residential use, while new community, workplace and health-related facilities were being introduced around Valenciennes Square. The centre operates in a competitive regional environment affected by destinations such as Bluewater and Lakeside, but remains a local retail and services hub adjacent to the town’s principal bus interchange.

• 2025

  Regeneration and adaptive reuse

  [1]Pentagon Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Mountbatten House is being converted to flats, alongside new workplace, health and public facilities around Valenciennes Square.

• 2015

  WHSmith leaves the centre

  [1]Pentagon Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  WHSmith closes its Pentagon store on 15 April after its lease expires.

• 2004

  WHSmith reduces its footprint

  [1]Pentagon Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The WHSmith unit is reduced from two floors to a ground-floor-only operation on 30 September.

• 1990

  Late-1990s remodelling

  [1]Pentagon Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre is modernised with new lifts, escalators, ceilings and lighting, while several original decorative and circulation features are removed.

• 1975

  Pentagon Shopping Centre opens

  [1]Pentagon Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre opens on 30 June 1975, with Pentagon Court providing the basis for its name.

• 1973

  Construction begins

  [1]Pentagon Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Construction of the Pentagon begins as part of the redevelopment of Chatham town centre.

A local town-centre shopping and leisure destination serving Chatham and surrounding communities, combining everyday retail, food, services and entertainment in a post-war urban redevelopment.

• Fashion, footwear and general retail · 1975

  Retail shops

  The Pentagon provides conventional high-street retail space across two floors. Its tenant history includes fashion, footwear, department-store, stationery, news and general merchandise businesses. Examples of current or former occupier types include clothing retailers, DEICHMANN footwear, homeware stores and discount or convenience-oriented shops.

• Health and beauty retail · 1975

  Health, beauty and pharmacy services

  Health and beauty retail has been an important part of the centre’s tenant mix since opening. Superdrug was an early anchor tenant and Boots has also operated at the Pentagon. Boots later reduced its space, with part of the former store used as an NHS surgery, illustrating the centre’s combination of retail and community services.

• Food-to-go, cafés and restaurants · 1975

  Food and dining

  The centre offers food-to-go, café and restaurant options rather than a single conventional food court. Greggs has indoor and external seating in the Pentagon Court area, while Subway provides in-store eating space. These facilities support everyday visits and complement the centre’s wider retail offer.

• Leisure and entertainment

  Chatham Bowl

  A bowling alley provides a leisure component within the complex. The premises were formerly associated with the Scamps nightclub and its later incarnation as Van Damme before being repurposed for bowling and entertainment.

• 2025

  Adaptive reuse linked to town-centre regenerationStrategy

  Background

  Changing patterns of town-centre use and the wider redevelopment of Chatham have affected the complex and its associated buildings.

  Action taken

  Mountbatten House is being converted to flats, while new coworking, toilet and health-related facilities are being developed around Valenciennes Square.

  Aftermath

  The changes broaden the area’s role beyond retail and introduce residential, workplace and community uses alongside the shopping centre.

  Source

• 2015

  Replacement of the WHSmith anchor unitOther

  Background

  WHSmith’s lease expired after a long presence in the centre, and the retailer closed its store on 15 April 2015.

  Action taken

  The former WHSmith unit was subsequently taken by DEICHMANN.

  Aftermath

  The change marked a shift in the centre’s anchor-retailer mix while retaining the unit for mainstream retail use.

  Source

• 1990

  Modernisation of the shopping centreStrategy

  Background

  The late-1990s centre required an update to its dated 1970s appearance and internal circulation.

  Action taken

  The fountain, seating and several older access features were removed, while glass lifts, escalators, new ceilings and brighter lighting were installed.

  Aftermath

  The remodelling gave the complex a more contemporary interior while leaving much of the original flooring in place.

  Source

1. 1Pentagon Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Pentagon Shopping Centre official websitepentagonshoppingcentre.co.uk