Yeovil’s high street has been given a huge boost this week after the new Dunelm store opened its doors in the Quedam Shopping Centre.

Having lain empty for almost three years, the shop that was once home to BHS can now boast a thriving business once more.

It is hoped that Dunelm’s arrival can help spark a revival of the town centre’s fortunes, with numerous shops and businesses having either closed their doors, gone bust or left the town in recent years.

Here are seven once thriving institutions that are no longer in the town centre and what happened after they left.

BHS

BHS ceased trading in Yeovil in July 2016 after the company went into administration
BHS ceased trading in Yeovil in July 2016 after the company went into administration

 

The closure of BHS came in July 2016 after the firm went into administration and was forced to shut all 163 of its stores.

It left one of the flagship stores in the Quedam Shopping Centre empty for three painstaking years as work to find a new tenant continued in earnest behind the scenes.

The arrival of Dunelm promises to act as a boost to the town and has once again turned what had become something of an eyesore into a booming business.

Starbucks

The empty former Starbucks site at the Quedam Shopping Centre, Yeovil
The empty former Starbucks site at the Quedam Shopping Centre, Yeovil

 

The famous coffee chain had a thriving shop at the opposite end of the Quedam for many years until it took the decision to leave the town centre in June 2018.

It lay empty for almost a year, before independent coffee chain Hot Shots announced it would open there.

But the independent operators announced suddenly they would not be opening.

Pictures showed the premises bare and empty on Saturday (June 15).

Those still desperate for their Starbucks fix need not venture too far either, with the company’s Babylon Hill coffee shop still well and truly open.

Woolworths

The Yeovil branch of Woolworths was one of a number in Somerset
The Yeovil branch of Woolworths was one of a number in Somerset

 

The closure of Woolworths in January 2009 sent shockwaves through the British high street as it became one of the highest profile victims of the recession, seeing all 807 of its stores shut for good.

It left a gaping hole in Middle Street, where the shop was an iconic part of the high street for many years, laying empty for nearly two years, before it was refurbished and became Primark, which moved from across the road.

Mulberry’s

Mulberrys Restaurant and Grill on Union Street, Yeovil
Mulberrys Restaurant and Grill on Union Street, Yeovil

 

Mulberry’s spent many years as one of Yeovil’s most popular restaurants before its sudden closure was announced on Facebook last month.

The restaurant gained a strong reputation with its range of South African-inspired dishes, but its departure from the town leaves a shop empty on Union Street.

It would be seen as a big boost for Yeovil if a replacement could be found in the near future.

Acorn Music

Acorn Music was situated on Glovers Walk
Acorn Music was situated on Glovers Walk

 

One of Yeovil’s true thriving independent shops, record store Acorn Music spent four decades in the town before closing its doors in Glovers Walk in April 2015.

Glovers Walk has since been singled out as a possible site for a new housing development by South Somerset District Council. Whether this comes to fruition remains to be seen.

Whittard of Chelsea

The former Whittard of Chelsea and Costa stores in the Quedam Shopping Centre is now home to Boswells Cafe
The former Whittard of Chelsea and Costa stores in the Quedam Shopping Centre is now home to Boswells Cafe

 

The renowned tea and coffee retailer was a popular presence in the Quedam for many years but was another company which suffered in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, with its Yeovil store one of many across the country to close.

The empty unit it left behind was decorated with a vivid window display which showcased the history of Yeovil for a time, but is now home to Boswells Cafe after it and the adjacent old unit used by Costa was renovated to become a larger retail space.

Tony Pryce Sports

Tony Pryce on Middle Street closed its doors more than two years ago
Tony Pryce on Middle Street closed its doors more than two years ago

 

A popular retailer that was a must visit for many looking for equipment for football, cricket, tennis and an array of other sports, Tony Pryce Sports bid farewell to Yeovil and its home on Middle Street in the summer of 2017.

The unit is now home to a St Margaret’s Hospice charity shop.

Which other shops and businesses that used to be in Yeovil do you miss? Let us know in the comments section below or by emailing stephen.dalbiac@reachplc.com.

Want more news?

To subscribe to our daily newsletter, enter your email address into the box at the top of this story

To keep up to date with our latest news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Find our Bath Facebook page here or Somerset's can be found here

Alternatively, follow us on Twitter - @BathLive and @SomersetLive