Popular hill-top cafe to be rebuilt

A former cafe famed for its views of the Lake District and North Pennines is set to be rebuilt after it was destroyed in a fire six years ago.

Hartside Cafe, located on the A686 between Alston and Penrith, was a popular stop for motorists and cyclists until it was gutted in a blaze in 2018.

Westmorland and Furness Council has approved plans for "a modern structure" to replace the former stone building.

Its new owner Dawn Dixon said it had been a "long journey" but she was "ecstatic".

The site stands atop the summit of Hartside at 1,904ft (580m) above sea level and was well-liked by people travelling on the coast-to-coast route.

Hartside Cafe was originally built as a transport cafe for lorries in 1910, the planning application said.

The fire in March 2018 gutted the building and caused the roof to collapse. The remainder of the structure was knocked down.

Mrs Dixon bought the site in 2019 and said her sons Tom and Rudy would help with running the cafe.

Her application said the build would "restore a much needed rest-stop on a long journey across the Pennines".

Mrs Dixon said the building would be made from "huge sheets" of steel and glass.

She said: "The structure is very simple.

"People aren't going there for some fancy-pants restaurant, they're going there for good honest food.

"The drive to it just spectacular - when you get there you're on top of the world."

Mrs Dixon said she agreed with a 12-hour opening time imposed by the council, adding it was "realistic".

"We have to be open within nine months, people have waited long enough as it is," she added.

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