Cavendish House
Encyclopedia
Cavendish House is Cheltenham
's oldest and leading department store
(established in 1823), located on The Promenade. Its establishment was of great significance for Cheltenham's future reputation as a leading shopping centre. Known as 'Cavendish House' from its early days, its name was officially adopted with the registration of a limited liability company in 1883. The store became part of the House of Fraser
group in 1970.
The premises were refurbished a few times in the 1800's, whilst remaining largely on the same location. The most substantial refurbishment was in 1931, with the creation of its distinctive Art Deco
pre-Brutalist 287-foot frontage on the Promenade. The entrances on Regent Street retain the older Victorian
and Art Nouveau
stylings. The inside of building remains a rabbit-warren of steps and rooms, a legacy of the various expansions. The once famous food hall, which sold a wide range of delicatessan items, has now sadly disappeared, along with the uniformed concierges at the main entrance who kept 'undesirables' from entering the premises.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
's oldest and leading department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
(established in 1823), located on The Promenade. Its establishment was of great significance for Cheltenham's future reputation as a leading shopping centre. Known as 'Cavendish House' from its early days, its name was officially adopted with the registration of a limited liability company in 1883. The store became part of the House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
group in 1970.
History
The Cheltenham store was opened in 1823 as one of the provincial branches of Cavendish House (originally called Clark & Debenham), a London-based drapery business run by the business partners Thomas Clark and William Debenham.The premises were refurbished a few times in the 1800's, whilst remaining largely on the same location. The most substantial refurbishment was in 1931, with the creation of its distinctive Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
pre-Brutalist 287-foot frontage on the Promenade. The entrances on Regent Street retain the older Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
and Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
stylings. The inside of building remains a rabbit-warren of steps and rooms, a legacy of the various expansions. The once famous food hall, which sold a wide range of delicatessan items, has now sadly disappeared, along with the uniformed concierges at the main entrance who kept 'undesirables' from entering the premises.