# Friar's Walk Shopping Centre, Reading, July 2008



## Winchester (Oct 6, 2008)

We started the night off with a site we'd all explored before, and for me, only before in the dark.

It's largely stripped of any of it's shops, but it does benefit from being unique. As far as I know, there are no other abandoned shopping centres accesible in this country.

We saw the Jungle Gym, The main 'walk' level, the security room, C&A, and then set off a PIR.


----------



## Richard Davies (Oct 6, 2008)

It must have been closed a while to have a C & A there.

Though I've still got 1 or 2 items of clothing I purchased from them before they abandoned the UK market.


----------



## Neosea (Oct 6, 2008)

Richard Davies said:


> It must have been closed a while to have a C & A there.
> 
> Though I've still got 1 or 2 items of clothing I purchased from them before they abandoned the UK market.



Wondered what happened to C&A


----------



## mainframe444 (Oct 6, 2008)

*reading shopping centre*

Whats the story here? Why is it closed??


----------



## thompski (Oct 6, 2008)

Judging by its unexciting 1970s design I can assume it's going to be, or has been demolished and the site redeveloped into some sort of retail/mixed use development typical of most cities in the UK at the minute.


----------



## Urban-Warrior (Oct 6, 2008)

excellent explore... nice shot of the CCTV room with the cams still on was like they left yesterday.. shame about the PIR


----------



## Winchester (Oct 7, 2008)

It was shut in 2003 partly because the shift in balance in the town centre, towards the Oracle, on the other side of town.

John Madejski owns the area, and is looking to redevelop it, but due to the economy (and the collection of abandoned office blocks and empty new-builds in the town), has postponed work.


----------



## scoobs (Oct 12, 2008)

Some really good and unusual pictures there,well done.


----------



## geordie (Oct 17, 2008)

the C & A group closed down late 2001 with the last few stores closing its doors in the UK very early 2002 so its got of closed down around that area


----------



## Pip (Oct 19, 2008)

Neosea said:


> Wondered what happened to C&A



My wellies have L & R on them............... the OH's knickers have C & A on them

Sorry, couldn't resist that one

Pip


----------



## Neosea (Oct 19, 2008)

geordie said:


> the C & A group closed down late 2001 with the last few stores closing its doors in the UK very early 2002 so its got of closed down around that area



I wondered what happened, now I know.


----------



## RichardB (Oct 20, 2008)

I love the notion that the shopping centres they build now are somehow better, just because they have a few curves, no public seating and expensive coffee shops.


----------



## krela (Oct 20, 2008)

RichardB said:


> no public seating and expensive coffee shops.



You answered your own question... they're better for the retailers


----------

