MetroCentre (shopping centre)

This page is about the shopping centre in North East England; for the stop on the Washington Metro, see Metro Center (Washington Metro).

MetroCentre is the largest shopping and leisure centre in the UK. It is also one of the largest in Europe (following the German Wikipedia, depending on the criteria either the CentrO in Oberhausen/Germany or the Shopping City Süd in Vösendorf near Vienna/Austria is the largest shopping-centre in Europe). The centre has 1.818 million square feet (168,892 square metres) of retail floor space [1]. MetroCentre is located at Dunston, Gateshead, UK on a former industrial site, close to the River Tyne. It opened in 1986. The complex houses Metroland, Europe's biggest indoor amusement park.

Origins

MetroCentre's construction was financed by the Church of England Commissioners, and was masterminded by Sir John Hall's company, Cameron Hall Developments. In 1996, the centre was sold to Capital Shopping Centres for £325m, although the Church Commissioners retain a 10% stake.

Reflecting its Church origins, MetroCentre is one of the few European shopping centres with its own chapel and resident full-time chaplain. Services are held on Sunday afternoons, with special services on occasions such as Mother's Day and Remembrance Sunday.

Shops and food/drink

Many large retail chains are represented in the centre, such as Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Woolworths, Argos, HMV, W H Smith, Jessops, Boots and Virgin. There are also numerous places to eat and drink, with Mediterranean-themed bars and restaurants providing an alternative to the McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Wetherspoons elsewhere in the centre.

Metroland

Metroland, Europe's largest indoor amusement park.

Metroland, (or The New Metroland), the amusement park, was opened in February 1988 at a cost of £20 million. The park features a roller coaster, ferris wheel, pirate ship and dodgem cars among its rides.

Besides Metroland, the centre's leisure facilities include amusement arcades (with arcade games and slot machines), a bowling alley, and an 11-screen Odeon cinema

2004/2005 expansion

MetroCentre has recently undergone refurbishment and expansion, with the new Red Mall extension (including new shops such as a Debenhams store) having opened on 6 October 2004. The refurbishment programme also includes a new Transport Interchange, intended to provide improved bus links to many parts of north-east England, and accommodate coach services from elsewhere in the UK.

Transport

During the 2004-2005 expansion, a new interchange was built. As before, it comprises of a large bus station - including electronic display boards - and a mainline railway station, which features a new Waiting Room. Ironically, the Metrocentre does not include a Metro Station.

Major bus links include:

 X66 - A Super Shuttle service operated by Go North East and connecting the Metrocentre with Gateshead Interchange, for links to the Metro and Gateshead Quays
 100 - A Shuttle service operated by Stagecoach and connecting the Metrocentre with central Newcastle, stopping at Monument, the old Odeon and Newcastle Central Station for regional and national rail services.
 S1/S2 - Local shuttle services serving the Metrocentre complex and the surrounding retail park, as well as the Watermark development.

The bus interchange is complemented by the railway station, a National Rail train station on the Tyne Valley Line, which provides regular services to Newcastle, Sunderland, Carlisle, Teesside and Northumberland, with a twice daily service to Dumfries in south-west Scotland.

National and international visitors can commute via Newcastle's airport and Central Station.

External links

• MetroCentre official website
• Metroland