On Saturday 13 September 2025, City Campus hosted a number of events as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme, run by Gloucester Civic Trust.
That year’s programme highlighted the national theme of architecture and included a range of events, tours, walks, talks and music taking place at venues across Gloucester, celebrating its 2000-year history.
Reflecting this theme, City Campus hosted a talk introduced by Dr Peter Warry, University Council Member and expert on Roman ceramic building materials, and delivered by Neil Holbrook, Chief Executive of Cotswold Archaeology. The talk showcased the five most significant discoveries from their recent excavation at the site, offering fascinating insights into its layered history.
Later in the day there was an opportunity to hear from Adam Coleman, former Chief Executive of Gloucester Culture Trust, about the history of the building in the city.
The day also marked the culmination of the Memories of Debenhams campaign. Run in partnership with Gloucestershire Archives, University of Gloucestershire students researched the building’s history and collected stories of the much-loved former Debenhams store, submitted by the public.
A part of Gloucester’s high street since the 1930s, the building held a special place in the hearts of many residents. From shopping trips and first jobs, to meeting friends and marking milestones, generations of local people shared their stories about the building at the heart of the city.
Visitors could drop in at City Campus between 10:30-15:30 on Saturday 13 September to view the materials collected through the campaign, as well as a ‘finds table’ put together by Cotswold Archaeology.
“We were incredibly proud to be participating in England’s largest festival of history and culture. This was a wonderful opportunity for our community to visit the site and learn more about the building’s intriguing past.
“We knew how important the building was to local people and we wanted to honour those connections. Through the Memories of Debenhams campaign, visitors were invited to reflect on their personal memories of the building while exploring the collection of materials gathered by the University’s students and Gloucestershire Archives.”
– Clair Greenaway, Senior Lecturer in Events Management from the School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
The historic site had now become home to the University’s Education, Psychology and Social Work programmes, and offered shared public access facilities including a new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre delivered in partnership with the NHS Integrated Care Board, and a new public library in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council.
Gloucester Heritage Open Days ran from Friday 12–Sunday 14 September, with City Campus hosting events on Saturday 13 September. All events were free to access, although some required prior booking.
Notes to Editors: for more information, please contact the University press office on 01242 714516 or pressoffice@glos.ac.uk
For more information on Gloucester Civic Trust’s Heritage Open Days visit: https://www.gloucestercivictrust.org/heritage-open-days/
University of Gloucestershire: www.glos.ac.uk
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