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# Could Ipswich's Debenhams become our own 'Shredenhams'?
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/could-ipswichs-debenhams-become-our-own-shredenhams/
- Published: 2025-03-27T09:00:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:16:55.000Z
- Description: Bristol's skatepark conversion shows how community-focused projects can breathe new life into abandoned high street buildings. Should Ipswich follow suit?
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Town Centre & Waterfront, #article, #Import 2026-03-16 14:45

**Why it matters:** With dozens of abandoned retail spaces across the UK, Bristol has found a creative way to reinvigorate their high street.

Bristol's old Debenhams building has undergone a radical revamp — it's now a skatepark.

Now dubbed "[Shredenhams](https://shredenhams.com/?ref=ipswich.co.uk)," the once-iconic department store has swapped retail racks for ramps, thanks to [Campus Skateboarding](https://www.campusskateboarding.com/?ref=ipswich.co.uk), the team behind Bristol's beloved Campus Pool and Park.

A hot pink "SHRED" sign now hangs over the old store logo as curious locals press their faces to the glass for a sneak peek.

![Shredenhams in Bristol](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1743065722-shredenhams-bristol-edited-1.png)

Shredenhams in Bristol (Shredenhams)

**Inside, you'll find:** A full-blown skatepark, plus a bar, pool tables, dartboards and arcade machines.

**What it costs:** £10 gets visitors unlimited access to the space for the day, with the freedom to come and go as they please.

**For context:** Campus Skateboarding has a long history of revitalising unused spaces:

- It all started in 2011 on a derelict college site
- Campus Bedminster ran from 2011-2012
- In 2012, they took over the previously council-run skatepark "Sub-Side"
- The space became known as Campus Park after adaptations
- In 2014, they started the Bishopsworth swimming pool revival project, known as Campus Pool
- Campus Pool opened in 2015 with the help of Canvas

**Meanwhile in Ipswich:** The former Debenhams building has been vacant since 2021 and its owners, Unex, have been unable to secure a new tenant despite making improvements to the premises.

- It shut after online fashion retailer Boohoo bought the brand and its website for £55m, but closed the 118 stores
- The former Ipswich store sits within the four-storey Waterloo House building on Cornhill
- It was built in 1975 with Debenhams' tenancy agreement starting on 8 August 1977

**The bottom line:** As empty department stores continue to plague UK high streets, Bristol's innovative approach raises the question: Could Ipswich's Debenhams find a new purpose as a community-focused venue rather than waiting for another retailer to fill the space?

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