Businesses and creatives on the look out for new premises will soon have the opportunity to become part of a vibrant community at a historic Gloucester factory.
The latest development from Cheltenham-based County to County Property Group, The Shirt Factory seeks to bring together a vibrant mix of start ups, tech geeks, entrepreneurs, engineers, fabricators and creatives to establish a thriving new business community, inside the former Gloucester Shirt Co. factory building on Derby Road.
On track to launch in spring 2026, the modern work hub will offer three floors of studios and private offices along with small-scale industrial and storage spaces, with units ranging in size from 350 to 10,000 square feet.
Offering versatility 'that enables business to flow and grow', occupants will be able to house their entire business on site, whether by designating part of their storage unit for office use, or having a ground floor unit just for their inventory with a separate office upstairs, with the flexibility to scale up or down as needed along with opportunities for co-warehousing.
Described as 'a place where past and present meet', its offices feature a stylish, vintage-modern aesthetic, with matt blacks, greys and exposed metal complementing some of the building's original concrete ceilings and red brick walls.
Occupants will also have access to conference facilities; bookable meeting rooms; outdoor and indoor communal areas; kitchen facilities; a cafe and refreshments area; and shower and changing facilities, along with full fibre connectivity and CCTV.
Key to the site's appeal for businesses is its central location, just a nine-minute walk to Gloucester Railway Station and a short distance from the A38 and A417 for getting onto the M5, while there's ample on-site car parking – with 85 spaces, EV charging and secure cycle storage available to occupants.
An important part of Gloucester's industrial heritage, it's a new dawn for one of Gloucester's oldest business premises, part of the building dates back to the mid 19th century before it was further developed in the 1930s, when it became the home of the Gloucester Shirt Co.
It then became the manufacturing site of the Norville Optical Company in the 1970s, when more buildings were added, before being acquired by County to County earlier this year.
As well as retaining some of the site's historic elements for their distinctive look, sustainability is also a central part of the new facility's development and operation, with less than one per cent of all material being extracted from the former manufacturing site going to landfill; and the building itself being powered by a network of solar panels on its roof.
Licenses for spaces at The Shirt Factory start at just six months, with businesses free to leave at short notice with no pressure or long term commitment; while longer licences are also available, with flexible terms, for those who need stability and security.
For more information about The Shirt Factory or to make an enquiry, you can register to receive all the latest news and updates and view its brochure at theshirtfactorygloucester.co.uk.
