The Whitefriars Shopping Quarter is situated on the site of a former multi-storey car park and the Ricemans department store.

It was featured on Channel 4's television programme Time Team from 2000–2003, unearthing mostly Roman and Medieval finds.

It was converted to the Central Picture Cinema in the 1920s and reopened as the first Marlowe Theatre in 1949, originally for amateur dramatics and then repertory.

The multi-storey car park is in the same block as Tesco, with two bridges between the carpark, Primark and Marks and Spencer.

There are public toilets and facilities in Fenwick, Eat, Cafe Nero, Costa and Marks and Spencer.