I went to the Mall at Cribbs Causeway just off the M5 and I can see why people love it

It's not in Gloucestershire and it involves a drive down the M5 towards Bristol and all that can entail. But Cribbs Causeway has a gravitational pull that attracts many people from the county.

The Mall boasts acres of free parking, a food court to die for and the kind of shops that appeal to everyone in the family. It's also near such other attractions as an ice rink. So it's not surprising that thousands head down the motorway for a special shopping excursion.

And while many people in the county are familiar with the Mall, it can be a bit overwhelming and daunting to newcomers. For our sister site, BristolLive^[1], reporter Darcey Barrett went there for the first time and you can read her account below.

Since it opened in 1998 as a destination shopping centre just off the M5, the Mall at Cribbs Causeway has enticed people from all over the South West - but as a Bristol newcomer, it's not somewhere I'd visited before this week. Over the decades the centre has said hello and goodbye to many retailers, from smaller shops like the Natural World selling gems and telescopes to the bigger chains like BHS and Mothercare, which have since been replaced.

With buses regularly going from the city centre to Cribbs Causeway and only taking about 40 minutes, the place is accessible for people both with and without cars, depending on how big a spree you're planning. I took the train to Bristol Parkway then hopped on the m4 bus straight to The Mall, in a journey that took just under 20 minutes.

I got there on a weekday about half an hour before most of the shops opened, but there were plenty of people already milling about. As you'd expect from a big retail centre there were the usual chains like H&M and JD, and John Lewis and M&S which have anchored either end of the Mall since its opening.

I was more surprised to see brands that you don’t often see outside of designer outlets, like the Harrods Beauty store, Kurt Geiger and Hobbs. You can really make a day of it with the extensive food court located in the middle of the top floor overlooking the indoor fountain.

And outside there's a water-themed play area for children to enjoy in the summer. The 'golden age' of out-of-town shopping centres might have passed as customers' habits switch to online, but new openings like the Mango store and electric car giant Polestar suggests footfall isn't all bad.

Speaking to shoppers about why they still go to Cribbs to shop, there was one emerging similarity - many told me it was the ease of access as well as the variety that drew them in, mainly thanks to the free parking. Others shared how it held good memories from their childhood and even allowed them to make memories with their own children and grandchildren.

Maureen Smith from Sea Mills, who had come to the shopping centre with her grandchildren, said: “I come here because there’s free parking. I don’t have to travel too far to get here, it’s easy to get to and there is a good range of shops. I find Bristol centre quite sad these days.”

Another shopper, Linda Betts from Charfield, said: “I haven’t lived here very long but I like Cribbs Causeway as everything is under one roof and it's easy to park with the free parking. I think it’s a lot better than other places."

Lecturer Jo Augustus, from South Gloucestershire, explained how she likes the shopping centre as it’s perfect for people with young children. She said: “It’s really accessible. I have a young daughter so it’s perfect as it’s easy to get here and easy to park and they have a big John Lewis.”

A couple from Sea Mills, Alan and Judy McIntosh, said: “We come here because it’s easy to park and they have a Marks & Spencer, which is what we’re here for today.”

Another grandparent who had come for a day trip with her granddaughter was Karen Pearce from Portishead. She said: “It’s the nearest place to us and has some great shops. It’s just a really nice place to go for a girls' day out.”

A final shopper, Emily Wyatt from Taunton, said: “There’s just a lot of good shops here, many that we don’t have at home. My parents always brought me here as a child so I have some great memories.”

In 2014 plans were revealed for a £300million expansion of The Mall, which would include a third wing to the shopping centre. The planning decision was delayed for years but in 2018 it was confirmed that the plans to expand The Mall had been thrown out by the Government, following a public inquiry.

Critics had been concerned about the diversion of trade from the city centre, and some were particularly concerned about the impact if the new Bristol Arena was also to be built nearby. That prediction came true - the massive Brabazon suburb is being built just up the road at the former Filton Airfield, next to the Bristol Arena site which is also under construction and expected to open in late 2025 or early 2026.

The Cribbs Causeway neighbourhood itself is also set for hundreds more homes, with developments including the new Berwick Green housing estate.

References

1. ^{^} BristolLive (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
2. ^{^} A417 'Missing Link' rat run completely blocks tiny Gloucestershire village twice a day (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)