Springfields Outlet Shopping & Leisure

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Springfields

An aerial view of Springfields in 2018
Location	Spalding, Lincolnshire, England
Coordinates	52°47′57″N 0°07′39″W / 52.79920°N 0.12755°W / 52.79920; -0.12755
Address	Springfields Outlet Centre, Camel Gate, Spalding PE12 6EU
Opening date	1 May 2004
Developer	Thornfield Properties
Management	SLR Outlets Limited
Owner	UBS Triton Property Fund
No. of stores and services	55
Total retail floor area	200,000 sq ft
Parking	1,400 spaces
Public transit access	Spalding 37, 301, 505 and B3X bus routes
Website	Official Website

Springfields Outlet Shopping & Leisure is a major outlet centre in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

Located off the A16, it is the only outlet destination in the county, with 55 stores and 25 acres of free entry Festival Gardens, open 364 days a year. Springfields is the leading shopping and leisure destination in the East of England, attracting around 2.3 million visitors per year.^[1]

As of 2024, the mall had 55 stores across its 45 acre site.^[2] Outlet brands at Springfields include Marks & Spencer, Joules, Skechers, Radley, Next Outlet, Levi's, Jack Wills and Clarks.^[3] Places to eat include Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero and The Parlour, an Edwardian formal-style restaurant operated by Blue Diamond.^[4] The Festival Gardens feature free-to-enter Chelsea-style gardens, with designs by renowned horticultural designers and celebrities. These include Jungle Island by Charlie Dimmock,^[5] Sculpture Matrix by Chris Beardshaw,^[6] and A Lifetime Ahead by singer Kim Wilde.^[7]

Springfields is also home to Adventure Land, home to attractions for the family including a suspended sky net, treetop village, adventure golf and a miniature railway. The Spalding Water Taxi initiative connects Springfields to the local town centre. This transports thousands of visitors every year.^[8]

Springfields hosts events and activities throughout the year including Easter Egg hunts, Garden Trails, a Fireworks & Music Spectacular, and a Winter Wonderland Walk.

During the 1920s, millions of visitors came by train, coach and car to tour the special tulip routes in the Spalding area, which has established itself as the centre of the British flower bulb industry. As such in 1959, over 200,000 people attended the first Spalding Tulip Parade.^[9]

Springfields' Gardens were opened to the public in 1966 for the first time. A charity organisation, Springfields Horticultural Society, was formed to manage the gardens which raised public awareness about the growing and cultivation of flowers from bulbs, and the broader social benefits of horticulture and gardening as a means of relaxation and enjoyment.

After decades of popularity, public interest in the Gardens began to wane, and maintenance of the gardens became difficult to sustain, even for the short 8-week spring flower season.

Several ideas were considered for funding new investment into the gardens, and eventually a plan was agreed upon with development partner Thornfield Properties, seeing the first Outlet Village in Lincolnshire being approved.^[10] Sheffield-based entrepreneur Ian Sanderson oversaw the project and remains to this day the developer, asset manager and centre director of Springfields.^[11]

Construction was soon well underway in 2003 on what would become Phase One of Springfields by Interserve Contractors. Structures started rising on North, West and East Avenues, as well as Camelgate.

Springfields Outlet Shopping officially opened to huge crowds on 1st May 2004, with shops including M&S Outlet and the Home & Garden Centre. Anne, Princess Royal paid a royal visit and planted a tree within the Festival Gardens, following in the footsteps of the Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother who planted a tree several decades earlier.^[12]

Due to the ongoing popularity and success of Springfields, an extension (South Avenue) was built in 2008, adding further brands including Gap Outlet. A new 43-bedroom Travelodge hotel was introduced.^[13]

In 2018, further investment was made with the addition of Adventure Land, opened by Samia Ghadie.^[14] This activity park is home to 10 attractions including the largest JCB Young Drivers Zone in the UK.^[15]

Future plans include a Phase 3. Planning permission has been fully consented for a 50,000 sq ft extension that will add approximately 15 new stores and restaurants. This will create up to 350 new jobs for Spalding, adding to the 650 jobs as of 2024.^[16]

Springfields is located in Spalding, at the junction of the A16 and A151. The nearest rail connection is Spalding railway station, around 20 minutes from Peterborough. Multiple bus links service the centre including the 37, 301, 505 and B3X.^[17]