Cabot Circus

Before the building of Cabot Circus, the site contained post-war shop units and part of the A4044 inner circuit road. Tollgate House and its car park were also demolished to make way for the re-aligned part of the circuit road away from its former junction in front of the Spectrum building, and the Cabot Circus car park. Many old streets were wiped off the map, although these had long been devoid of their houses.

File:Cabot Circus opening day.jpg

The original chosen name 'Merchants Quarter' came under criticism due to its associations to the slave trade.{{cite web | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4924310.stm | publisher= BBC News | title= 'New name' for merchants' quarter | date= 19 April 2006 | accessdate= 19 April 2006}} The name of Cabot was chosen following a public vote taken in November 2007,{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6396919.stm |title=New shopping centre name revealed |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=11 April 2008 | date=26 February 2007}} and commemorates John Cabot, an Italian explorer who is closely associated with Bristol. Work began on the site in September 2005,{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4252378.stm |title=£500m City centre revamp begins| publisher=BBC News |accessdate=11 April 2008 | date=16 September 2005}} following planning approval in December 2003.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3308087.stm |title=City development plan approved| publisher=BBC News |accessdate=11 April 2008 | date=10 December 2003}}

Cabot Circus comprises three multi-level pedestrianised streets, with apartment block areas. Its focal point, The Circus, has a large glass-panelled roof. The centre was designed by Chapman Taylor architects, and won the 2008 BREEAM Retail award for its sustainable design,{{cite web | url= http://www.breeam.org/filelibrary/CaseStudyBREEAMAwards2008.pdf | title= BREAAM Awards 2008 | publisher= BREEAM | accessdate= 19 December 2008 | archive-date= 29 December 2009 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091229091735/http://www.breeam.org/filelibrary/CaseStudyBREEAMAwards2008.pdf | url-status= dead }} including its natural ventilation, low energy lighting and rainwater harvesting system. The complex was opened to shoppers on 25 September 2008.

In October 2017, prominent urban explorer Ally Law was arrested for trespassing onto the roof of Cabot Circus and performing stunts such as backflips atop the glass structure.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWm6LfFFRB4 | title=ROOFTOP POLICE ESCAPE *Arrested | via=YouTube }}

2025 will see Marks & Spencer opening in the former House of Fraser store, and a new Odeon cinema opening in part of the former Showcase cinema.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-02 |title=M&S to return to Bristol city centre with large department store |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp683l894l4o |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Hannah |date=2024-11-26 |title=EXCLUSIVE: UK's largest cinema brand to open at Cabot Circus |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/uks-largest-cinema-brand-odeon-9744497 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Bristol Live |language=en}}

Cabot Circus has over 130 shops, two department stores, several restaurants, and had a thirteen-screen Showcase Cinema de Lux until 30 November 2023. The development is split into two areas: the circus itself and Quakers Friars.

The Circus is divided into three streets and multiple levels. Outlets include New Look, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Hollister Co, H&M, The Body Shop, JD Sports, Pull&Bear, Smiggle, and Boux Avenue. At the highest level are the cinema and eateries which includes Giraffe, Bella Italia, Frankie & Benny's, Nando's, YO! Sushi, Zizzi and Gourmet Burger Kitchen. There are also cafes and restaurants on the upper ground floor, including Five Guys, TGI Fridays and Pret a Manger.

On the opposite side of Penn street is the Quakers Friars area, which houses Harvey Nichols (opened by Dita Von Teese).{{cite web |url=http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/shopping/cabot-circus/cabot-circus-store-listing |title=Cabot Circus Store Listing |publisher=This Is Bristol |accessdate=25 September 2008}} Other outlets in the area include French Connection, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Kurt Geiger, FatFace and an Apple Store. In January 2016, the American womenswear and lingerie retailer, Victoria's Secret, opened their first store in the South West.{{cite news |date=13 January 2016 |title=Here comes the angels! Victoria's Secret confirms opening date for Bristol store |url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/come-angels-Victoria-s-Secret-confirms-opening/story-28519776-detail/story.html |work=Bristol Post}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

Philadelphia Street studios, which closed in 2014, has also been used for exhibitions and gallery hire by various Bristol based art galleries including Antlers Gallery. Here they held exhibitions such as Dark Suits which ran from 9 April – 6 May 2011, Still Chaos, which ran from 3–27 May 2012. Antlers Gallery also hosted their Winter Shop at the gallery space in 2011.

Cabot Circus is at the junction of the A4044 and A4032, close to the end of the M32 motorway.

Cabot Circus has 2,500 car parking spaces, with disabled and "parent and toddler bays, plus electric car bays equipped with chargers. Prices are biased towards short-stay shoppers, with a low-cost evening parking rate available from 5pm."{{cite web |url=http://www.cabotcircus.com/getting-here/car-parking |title=Car Parking |publisher=Cabot Circus |accessdate=24 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903113506/http://www.cabotcircus.com/getting-here/car-parking |archive-date=3 September 2013 |url-status=dead }}

Drivers can also access the centre by using one of Bristol's three Park and Ride services; Long Ashton, Portway and Bath Road.{{cite web |url=http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/transport-and-streets/parking/park-and-ride/ |title=Park and Ride |publisher=Bristol City Council |accessdate=8 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926062937/http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/transport-and-streets/parking/park-and-ride/ |archive-date=26 September 2008 |url-status=dead }}

The closest railway station is Bristol Temple Meads, while many bus routes also stop around Cabot Circus. A free minibus runs from Cabot Circus to various locations in Bristol.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cabotcircus.com/visitor-info/getting-here|title=Cabot Circus – Getting Here|website=cabotcircus.com|access-date=2019-10-29}}

File:Cabot Circus in Bristol - geograph.org.uk - 1444403.jpg

In 2002, local newsletter The Bristolian reported, "Last Thursday residents of St Pauls met to oppose the Broadmead development: "Is Our Community under threat from Big Business Developers?" "The Broadmead Expansion Plan, backed by the council, will mean a massive increase in traffic congestion, pollution and parking chaos."http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/2305 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728134911/http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/2305 |date=28 July 2011 }} Bristolian 67

Bristolians and Bristol-based organisations have used Bristol Indymedia to criticise the development and the impacts it will have on their city.{{Cite web |url=http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688946 |title=Cabot Circus – wealth generator or consumer cult? – Bristol Indymedia |access-date=27 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929202623/http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688946 |archive-date=29 September 2008 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688948 |title=Cabot Circus showing solidarity with hard up bristolians.. – Bristol Indymedia |access-date=27 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929194955/http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688948 |archive-date=29 September 2008 |url-status=dead }} On the day of its launch, activists hung a banner from part of the development saying "crunch the cabot credit circus", linking the opening of a multimillion-pound retail development with the late 2008 economic climate and global credit crunch.{{Cite web |url=http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688937 |title=CRUNCH the Cabot CREDIT Circus – Bristol Indymedia |access-date=27 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014040650/http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688937 |archive-date=14 October 2008 |url-status=dead }}

File:Cabotroof.jpg

• The Galleries, Bristol – a nearby shopping centre
• Trinity Leeds, a similar development in Leeds, also by architect Chapman Taylor

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/cabot_circus/ BBC News: Cabot Circus]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080926191020/http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/688930 Babylon Towers, a critique of the Cabot Circus development], archived in 2008

{{Culture in Bristol}}

{{Shopping centres in Southwest England}}

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