Historic hotel ready for sale and refurbishment

A historic - but empty - hotel in the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth has been put up for sale as a prime business development opportunity.

The Grade II-listed Globe Hotel was inundated by the 2009 floods in the town but, since then, has been emptied, dried and mothballed in preparation for renovation works to be carried out. The agents managing the sale, Edwin Thompson, have put a price tag of £595,000 on the property.

JD Wetherspoon, the budget pub chain, had expressed interest in taking on the 18th century premises but backed out, as the hotel does not have an outside area. A representative for the agents said, however, that the hotel had incredible potential for a range of different uses.

"The property is in shell condition and alternative uses of the premises could include retail, commercial, leisure or the former use of a public house and hotel, subject to planning," the agent said. "It has been largely cleared internally in preparation for refurbishment."

The hotel is currently owned by local businessman, Peter Brown. He successfully applied to Allerdale council last year for permission to convert a rear annexe into 10 apartments. Mr Brown owns the freehold of the annexe, which formerly housed a night club, with hotel rooms above. The agent said that any interest in that premises could be raised by separate negotiation.