Abandoned cafe and counters still inside Debenhams
PICTURES have revealed what the inside of Nottingham’s Debenhams building looks like three years on from the store’s closure.
The 240-year-old retailer went into liquidation in 2019, before a move to online-only eventually meant the closure of Nottingham’s department store in May 2021.
Talks on the site’s future have been under way since the end of 2022, but those behind the building say it could still be months before any plans are lodged. An urban explorer, posting from the page ‘Urbex No Limits’, has now been inside the building and his pictures reveal how the site looks now.
Much has been left behind, with several empty shelving units and computers still visible. The empty payment counters, abandoned cafe and stationary escalators are among the elements of the store seen in the pictures.
The history of the building dates back to 1846 when the Dickinson brothers opened a drapery store on the corner of Long Row and Market Street. The business was eventually sold to Mr W Griffin and J.T. Spalding, who purchased several neighbouring buildings due to the success of their department store.
The facade of the store was rebuilt in the 1920s and the family first accepted an offer from Debenhams in 1944. It did not trade as Debenhams until 1973 when the department store chain rolled out a nationwide re-brand.
Longmead Capital, the company which has been in talks with Nottingham City Council over the building’s future, previously said it was being kept safe and secure.
The Post does not encourage others to emulate the activities of urban explorers.