Department store closes its doors after 201 years

Cavendish House closed for the final time earlier

A department store which has served generations of shoppers in Cheltenham has closed after 201 years.

Cavendish House first welcomed shoppers in 1823 when the town was a popular tourist destination, and became part of the House of Fraser group in 1970.

Earlier, shoppers visited to pick up the last few items before the doors closed for good.

Joshua Taee, who owns nearby Huffkins bakery, said: "It's a little piece of history that's disappearing and it's really sad."

He added that the closure was "dismal" and he is concerned it will "shift footfall off the Prom".

Another shopper, Peter Barnes, told the BBC he "wasn't surprised" it had closed down.

"I can remember coming here with my sister and there was a guy with a top hat on the door, that shows you how old I am," he said.

"It's a big old building, I've always shopped in there."

The store first welcomed shoppers in 1823

Lewis White used to work at the store and said there was a "huge community" feeling amongst the staff and customers.

"I've made quite a lot of friends and the closure broke quite a lot of people," he said.

"The closure just came out of nowhere, it was a complete shock."

Site owner, Canada Life Asset Management, has said previously it is exploring options with Cheltenham Borough Council to redevelop the building.

"While we recognise this may be disappointing for some, it presents an exciting opportunity to re-shape Cavendish House for the future," it said.

"We have been working closely and constructively with the borough council on exploring a number of sustainable redevelopment options for Cavendish House."