Plans Underway to Transform Empty Cavendish House Windows with Artwork in Cheltenham

Cavendish House, the historic department store on Cheltenham’s Promenade, remains closed since its closure earlier in 2024, but new plans are emerging to bring a fresh vibrancy to the iconic building. Known as Cheltenham’s oldest department store, Cavendish House first opened in 1823 and housed the House of Fraser brand from 1970 until it ceased trading this year, closing a chapter on over two centuries of retail history.

In the meantime, with redevelopment plans still taking shape, the building’s owner, Canada Life Asset Management, and Cheltenham Borough Council have devised an interim initiative to enliven the site. Starting in September, the windows of the vacant department store will become a canvas for artwork, showcasing designs that celebrate Cheltenham’s rich heritage and community.

Earlier this year, a commissioned street artist painted the hoardings around the building, and now the vision is to extend artistic displays to the windows, creating an attractive and engaging feature on both the Promenade and Regent Street façades. This project is a collaboration between Canada Life, the Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID), and local organisations including the Cheltenham Civic Society.

Former Conservative councillor Emma Nelson recently suggested that the empty windows present an excellent opportunity to display a variety of local content, such as the town’s history, artworks from The Wilson Gallery, contributions from local schools, and exhibitions by Local History Societies. She expressed optimism about transforming the long stretch of unused windows into a meaningful display.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Izaac Tailford, responsible for economic development, culture, wellbeing, and the public realm, confirmed that preparations are already underway. He stated, “The Cheltenham BID has worked closely with Canada Life to develop artwork that will be installed in early September. The designs are fitting for the area, incorporating historical images, information, and a map to aid visitors with wayfinding.”

During a Municipal Offices meeting on 20 July, Mrs Nelson inquired whether the artwork would wrap around both sides of the building. Councillor Tailford affirmed it would, adding, “The new artwork will adorn all visible windows on the Promenade and Regent Street sides. It complements the existing hoarding artwork and will be a welcome enhancement to these prominent town centre locations.”

This initiative aims to not only improve the appearance of the vacant store but also to engage the community and visitors alike, bringing life back to this landmark building as plans for its longer-term redevelopment continue to be developed.