Drake Circus Shopping Centre
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA covered shopping centre in the centre of Plymouth, England, opened in 2006.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Drake Circus Shopping Centre is a covered retail and leisure complex in central Plymouth, England. The centre occupies approximately 425,000 square feet, or 39,484 square metres, and opened in October 2006. It was designed by the London-based architectural practice Chapman Taylor and constructed by Bovis Lend Lease. Its location places it behind the ruins of Charles Church, a civilian war memorial associated with the destruction of Plymouth during the Second World War. The modern centre inherited its name from Drake Circus, a historic road junction and urban space in Plymouth. The earlier Drake Circus was an oval roundabout formed around the beginning of the twentieth century at the meeting point of several roads. Edwardian commercial buildings surrounded it, and from 1937 its southern end carried the Guinness Clock, a local landmark visible from Old Town Street. Although the original area survived the Plymouth Blitz comparatively intact, it was demolished in 1966–67 during the implementation of the post-war Plan for Plymouth. A replacement roundabout was created farther north, while the lower part of the road toward Tavistock was renamed Drake Circus. A smaller, two-level shopping centre with open-air malls was subsequently built partly over the site of the original circus. That development opened in 1971 and included a large C&A store. Proposals to replace or substantially redevelop it emerged in the early 1990s but did not initially proceed. P&O Estates revived the scheme in the early 2000s, proposing a substantially larger enclosed centre. Allders became the first announced anchor tenant in 2001, and demolition of the older centre and the adjoining Charles Street multi-storey car park began in February 2004. The project then lost a major commitment when Allders entered administration in January 2005. Next and Primark later committed to the scheme, helping it proceed to completion. The redevelopment also involved a change in ownership before opening. P&O Estates announced the sale of the centre to Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund for £55 million in February 2005. Kandahar Real Estate subsequently acquired a 50 percent interest, announced in November 2006. British Land bought the centre for £240 million in January 2011. The supplied reference material does not establish the present owner, so no current ownership is stated here. The building attracted strong public and critical reactions. Its architecture was controversial, and shortly after opening it received the inaugural Carbuncle Cup, an architectural award presented to the building judged the worst new building in the United Kingdom. The centre later received more favourable recognition: in 2007 it won two national retail-industry awards, including Retail Week magazine’s Shopping Location of the Year. Its management also introduced a code of conduct in 2007 that prohibited hooded tops and baseball caps, echoing a similar policy introduced at Bluewater in 2005. Drake Circus operates as a city-centre destination rather than as a single-product retail brand. Its offer consists of stores, food and beverage outlets, customer services, access and parking-related facilities, and links to adjacent entertainment uses. The Barcode, an entertainment complex next to the shopping centre, opened in 2019 and broadened the area’s leisure function. Drake Circus therefore forms part of Plymouth’s central retail and visitor infrastructure, combining a major enclosed shopping environment with nearby entertainment and the historic setting of Charles Church.
History
The history of Drake Circus Shopping Centre is tied to the redevelopment of a long-standing Plymouth transport and commercial landmark. In its original form, Drake Circus was an oval roundabout created at the beginning of the twentieth century where four principal roads and several smaller routes met. Edwardian buildings containing shops stood around the junction. From 1937, the southern end displayed the Guinness Clock, which became a recognizable landmark for people travelling along Old Town Street. The original circus survived the Plymouth Blitz of the Second World War with comparatively limited damage. Its later removal was instead part of the post-war reconstruction programme known as the Plan for Plymouth. The oval junction and much of its surrounding built environment were demolished in 1966–67, and a replacement roundabout was constructed farther north. At about the same time, the lower section of the main road toward Tavistock was renamed Drake Circus, preserving the historic name in a changed urban setting. A two-level shopping centre with open malls was built partly over the former circus site and opened in 1971. It included a large C&A store and became the predecessor of the present development. Plans to redevelop the centre first appeared in the early 1990s but failed to progress. P&O Estates later returned with a more ambitious proposal in the early 2000s for a much larger covered shopping centre. Allders signed on as the first anchor tenant in 2001, and demolition of the old shopping centre and the adjoining Charles Street multi-storey car park began in February 2004. The development encountered a significant commercial setback when Allders entered administration in January 2005. The project nevertheless continued after Next and Primark committed to occupy space later that year. Ownership also changed during construction. On 3 February 2005, P&O Estates announced that it had sold the scheme to Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund for £55 million. On 20 November 2006, it was announced that Kandahar Real Estate had taken a 50 percent stake. British Land subsequently acquired the centre for £240 million in January 2011. The available reference material does not identify a current owner or operating company. The new Drake Circus Shopping Centre opened in October 2006. The approximately 425,000-square-foot building was designed by Chapman Taylor and built by Bovis Lend Lease, with CNM London acting as civil and structural engineer. Its position behind the ruins of Charles Church gave the project a prominent historical and civic context. Charles Church is preserved as a civilian war memorial, linking the modern retail development to Plymouth’s wartime history. Reception to the architecture was divided. Soon after opening, the centre won the first Carbuncle Cup, which identifies what its organizers consider the worst new building in the United Kingdom. The criticism made the centre a notable example in debates about contemporary retail architecture and urban design. Its performance in the retail sector was more positive: in 2007 it won two national retail-industry awards, one being Retail Week magazine’s Shopping Location of the Year. In 2007, management introduced a code of conduct that banned hooded tops and baseball caps. The policy resembled a code introduced at Bluewater in 2005 and reflected a broader approach by some shopping-centre operators to regulating visitor appearance and conduct. In 2019, The Barcode entertainment complex opened alongside the centre, extending the district’s offer beyond conventional shopping. Drake Circus now functions as a central Plymouth retail and leisure destination, although the supplied sources do not provide a definitive account of its current ownership, tenant roster, visitor numbers, or management leadership.
- 2019
The Barcode opens next to Drake Circus
[1]An adjacent entertainment complex opened, expanding the area’s leisure offer.
- 2011
British Land acquires the centre
[1]British Land purchased Drake Circus in January for a reported £240 million.
- 2007
Centre receives retail-industry recognition
[1]Drake Circus won two national retail awards, including Shopping Location of the Year from Retail Week magazine.
- 2006
Modern Drake Circus Shopping Centre opens
[1]The new 425,000-square-foot covered shopping centre opened in October.
- 2005
Ownership transfers to Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund
[1]P&O Estates sold the centre for £55 million during the redevelopment period.
- 2004
Construction begins after demolition
[1]Demolition of the previous centre and Charles Street multi-storey car park began in February.
- 2001
Allders becomes the first announced anchor tenant
[1]Allders signed up for the proposed large-scale redevelopment.
- 1971
Predecessor shopping centre opens
[1]A two-level shopping centre with open malls, including a large C&A store, opened partly over the former circus site.
- 1966
Original Drake Circus is demolished
[1]The historic oval roundabout and associated buildings were removed during the Plan for Plymouth; the demolition period extended into 1967.
- 1937
Guinness Clock installed at the historic Drake Circus
[1]The Guinness Clock was placed at the southern end of the original road junction and became a local landmark.
Products and positioning
A major covered city-centre shopping and leisure destination serving Plymouth and its surrounding area.
Shopping centre · 2006
Covered retail centre
The principal offering is an approximately 425,000-square-foot covered shopping environment in central Plymouth. It brings together multiple independent and national retailers, customer facilities, circulation areas and food-and-beverage uses under one enclosed development. The centre is designed as a general-purpose urban retail destination rather than a specialist store or vertically integrated consumer brand.
Retail · 2005
Fashion and general merchandise retail
Fashion, apparel and general merchandise form a core part of the centre’s tenant-based offer. Next and Primark were specifically identified as later anchor commitments during the redevelopment after Allders entered administration. The available sources do not provide a complete or current tenant directory, so this entry describes the retail category rather than asserting a full list of present occupiers.
Leisure · 2019
Adjacent leisure and entertainment offer
The adjacent Barcode complex opened in 2019 and added entertainment uses beside the shopping centre. Together, the two developments support a broader shopping, dining and leisure visit to central Plymouth. The supplied sources do not specify every operator or attraction within The Barcode.
Brand decisions
2011
British Land acquisitionM&ABackground
Drake Circus had previously been held through interests associated with Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund and Kandahar Real Estate.
Action taken
British Land acquired the shopping centre in January 2011.
Aftermath
The available reference material does not establish subsequent ownership or current management arrangements.
Reported acquisition price. £240 million (Announced January 2011)
2007
Introduction of a visitor code of conductOtherBackground
Centre management adopted a policy comparable to one introduced at Bluewater in 2005.
Action taken
The code banned hooded tops and baseball caps within the shopping centre.
Aftermath
The available reference does not document the policy’s duration, enforcement results or wider public response.
2006
Opening of the rebuilt Drake Circus Shopping CentreProduct launchBackground
The earlier 1971 shopping centre was demolished as part of a much larger redevelopment.
Action taken
A new approximately 425,000-square-foot covered shopping centre opened in October 2006.
Aftermath
The building attracted architectural criticism but received national retail recognition the following year.
2005
Sale from P&O Estates to Morgan Stanley Real Estate FundM&ABackground
The redevelopment was still in progress and had experienced the loss of proposed anchor tenant Allders after its administration.
Action taken
P&O Estates sold the shopping-centre project to Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund for £55 million.
Aftermath
Construction continued, with Next and Primark later committing to the scheme before its October 2006 opening.
Reported acquisition price. £55 million (Announced 3 February 2005)
Sources2 sources
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