The Shires Shopping Centre
A covered town-centre shopping complex in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, incorporating Trowbridge Museum and a large public car park.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Shires Shopping Centre is a covered retail and leisure complex in the centre of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. It serves the county town and its surrounding communities, bringing together shops, services, food and drink venues, museum space and parking in a central redevelopment area. The centre is associated with the modernisation of Trowbridge's historic core and is one of the town's principal retail destinations. The site has a substantial industrial and archaeological history. Before construction, excavations identified evidence of Anglo-Saxon occupation, including the remains of a church and burial ground dating to approximately the ninth century, as well as traces connected with Trowbridge's medieval castle. The name "The Shires" refers to the shire-based administrative culture of Anglo-Saxon England, reflecting the area's historical associations rather than a separate national retail chain. Much of the land later occupied by the centre had previously been used by Trowbridge's woollen textile industry. Woollen milling was important to the town from the medieval period through the nineteenth century, and the development incorporated the remains of Salter's Home Mill, described as the last operating woollen mill in the area. The mill ceased production in 1982. Much of the preserved mill structure subsequently became home to Trowbridge Museum, which opened at the same time as the shopping centre in 1990. This combination gives The Shires a distinctive role as both a commercial development and a vehicle for preserving local industrial and social history. The Shires was Trowbridge's second major shopping centre, following Castle Place, which opened in 1973. Its central, enclosed format was intended to consolidate retail activity in the town centre. The complex includes a car park with capacity for approximately 1,000 vehicles. Reporting cited by the centre's reference material stated that about 120,000 shoppers visited in an average week in 2009, indicating its importance to the local catchment at that time. A major later expansion was the Shires Gateway, also known on the development itself as Gateway Trowbridge. Outline planning permission was granted by West Wiltshire District Council in 2007 for redevelopment on the Bythesea Road site. The project was built alongside waterside housing and cafés and created a pedestrian connection between Bythesea Road and Stallard Street. Its planned mix included shops and cafés at ground level, with offices and apartments above. Retailers associated with the addition included Next, New Look and Brantano, extending the centre's fashion and footwear offer. The centre's occupier mix has included national and specialist retailers such as Bonmarché, F. Hinds, CeX, Halifax, Iceland, Peacocks, One Beyond and Superdrug. Occupancy changes over time are normal for a shopping centre, so the precise current tenant list should be checked against the official website. The Shires has also received local recognition: it was voted Wiltshire's best shopping centre by readers of a local newspaper for six consecutive years through 2009. Today, its identity rests on a combination of everyday retail, town-centre convenience, public parking, hospitality and heritage interpretation through the integrated museum.
History
The history of The Shires Shopping Centre is closely connected with Trowbridge's archaeological, medieval and industrial development. Archaeological work undertaken before construction uncovered evidence of Anglo-Saxon occupation, including the remains of a church and cemetery dated to approximately 850 AD. Investigators also found remains associated with the town's medieval castle. These discoveries established that the shopping-centre site formed part of Trowbridge's settled historic core long before its modern commercial use. The name The Shires alludes to the shire system of Anglo-Saxon England. In that period, assemblies at shire level became associated with the administration of justice and other important affairs. The name therefore connects the modern development with the area's early administrative history, rather than simply describing its geographical location. For several centuries, most of the land occupied by the centre was used by Trowbridge's woollen milling industry. The town was an important textile centre from the fourteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Salter's Home Mill stood at the heart of the later development and was the last woollen mill in Trowbridge to continue operating. It closed in 1982 as the local textile economy declined and the site moved toward redevelopment. The modern shopping centre opened in 1990, making it Trowbridge's second shopping centre after Castle Place, which had opened in 1973. The development retained and reused much of the former mill complex. Trowbridge Museum opened at the same time, occupying a significant portion of the historic mill buildings and presenting the town's woollen industry and local heritage. This integration of museum and retail functions distinguished The Shires from a purely commercial shopping arcade. The centre was designed as a covered, central shopping destination for Trowbridge. Its facilities included a car park of approximately 1,000 spaces, supporting access from the wider Wiltshire area. By 2009, published reference material estimated weekly footfall at roughly 120,000 shoppers. The centre's local reputation was also reflected in a reported six-year run as Wiltshire's best shopping centre in a reader poll conducted by a local newspaper, ending in 2009. A further stage of development came through Shires Gateway, a project on Bythesea Road. West Wiltshire District Council granted outline planning permission in 2007. The approved concept was intended to provide additional retail space while also reshaping pedestrian movement through the town centre. The plan called for a new pedestrian street and public courtyard connecting Bythesea Road and Stallard Street, with boutique shops and cafés at ground level and offices and apartments above. The development was constructed alongside waterside housing and cafés. Although the area became commonly known as Shires Gateway, the name displayed on the building was Gateway Trowbridge. The addition brought retailers including Next, New Look and Brantano into the wider centre offer, strengthening its fashion and footwear provision. The Shires has subsequently accommodated a changing mixture of national chains, specialist retailers and service businesses. Reference material lists occupiers including Bonmarché, F. Hinds, CeX, Halifax, Iceland, Peacocks, One Beyond and Superdrug. Because retail occupancy changes over time, historical lists should not be treated as a definitive current directory. The centre's enduring significance lies in its role as a central retail facility, its connection to Trowbridge's former woollen industry and the preservation of local heritage through Trowbridge Museum.
- 2009
Shires Gateway opened as an extension area
[1]The extension added retailers, cafés and a pedestrian link associated with the Gateway Trowbridge development.
- 2007
Outline permission granted for Shires Gateway
[1]West Wiltshire District Council approved the outline for a mixed retail, hospitality, residential and office development on Bythesea Road.
- 1990
The Shires and Trowbridge Museum opened
[1]The covered shopping centre opened with Trowbridge Museum incorporated into the former Salter's Home Mill buildings.
- 1982
Salter's Home Mill closed
[1]The last operating woollen mill on the site ceased production as Trowbridge's historic textile industry declined.
- 1973
Castle Place opened
[1]Castle Place became Trowbridge's first shopping centre, preceding The Shires.
Anglo-Saxon occupation of the site
[1]Archaeological evidence later found beneath the development included a church and graveyard dating to approximately this period.
Products and positioning
A locally focused, covered town-centre shopping destination combining everyday retail and services with heritage, museum, parking and hospitality uses.
Retail destination · 1990
Covered shopping centre
The core offering is an enclosed town-centre retail environment serving Trowbridge and nearby communities. Its historical occupier mix has included clothing, footwear, jewellery, electronics, groceries, health and beauty, banking and other everyday services. The tenant roster is periodically changed by leasing decisions and market conditions.
Shopping-centre extension · 2009
Shires Gateway
Shires Gateway, also labelled Gateway Trowbridge on the building, is the later expansion associated with Bythesea Road. It introduced additional retail and hospitality space, including fashion and footwear operators, and was planned with a pedestrian street and courtyard linking Bythesea Road and Stallard Street.
Museum and heritage attraction · 1990
Trowbridge Museum
Trowbridge Museum occupies much of the preserved Salter's Home Mill complex within The Shires. Opened alongside the shopping centre, it interprets Trowbridge's woollen manufacturing history and helps retain the industrial character of the site within the modern commercial development.
Access and parking facility · 1990
Public car park
The centre includes a large car park reported to provide approximately 1,000 spaces. It supports access to the shopping centre and the wider town-centre retail area.
Brand decisions
2007
Approval of the Shires Gateway mixed-use expansionStrategyBackground
The existing centre was expanded through a proposal for additional retail and hospitality space on Bythesea Road, alongside waterside housing and a redesigned pedestrian connection through the town centre.
Action taken
West Wiltshire District Council granted outline planning permission for a development including shops and cafés at ground level, offices and apartments above, and a pedestrian street and public courtyard linking Bythesea Road with Stallard Street.
Aftermath
The project was built as Shires Gateway, also known as Gateway Trowbridge on the building, and added retailers including Next, New Look and Brantano to the wider centre area.
Recent events
- 2009
The Shires Gateway added new retail and hospitality space[1]
Other
The extension, developed alongside waterside housing and cafés, introduced retailers including Next, New Look and Brantano and linked Bythesea Road with Stallard Street through a pedestrian-oriented layout.
- 2009
The centre was reported to attract approximately 120,000 weekly shoppers[1]
Other
Reference material for the centre reported an estimated average of about 120,000 shoppers per week, illustrating its role as a major retail destination for Trowbridge and the surrounding area.
- 2009
The Shires was recognised as Wiltshire's best shopping centre[1]
Other
The centre was reported to have been voted Wiltshire's best shopping centre by readers of a local newspaper for six consecutive years through 2009.
- 2007
The Shires Gateway expansion received outline planning permission[1]
Other
West Wiltshire District Council granted outline planning permission for a Bythesea Road development intended to add retail, cafés, a pedestrian route, offices and apartments to the shopping-centre area.
Sources2 sources
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