Cafe hopes part of tourism service can be saved
Twisted WillowThe owner of a cafe opening in a town's historic hall has said he hopes to restore a piece of the tourism service which was once part of the building.
The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) closed its tourist office in Moot Hall in Keswick in January after 25 years of service due to rising rent.
The town, which is a gateway to the Lake District and a visitor hot spot, is currently without a tourism information service.
However, cafe co-founder Scott Thain said "positive conversations were happening about having some part of the tourism office in Moot Hall", adding the facility would "continue the building's tradition as a gathering place for the community".
Built in 1813, Moot Hall is Grade II listed and has been used as a market, court house and museum over the years.
LDNPA said its closure was down to budget cuts and an "unsustainable" rent rise at its Moot Hall, with a search ongoing for alternative premises.
That included "ongoing discussions with the incoming tenant of the Moot Hall about a presence in the centre this summer and Cumberland council about options at the Town Hall", LDNPA said.
The authority encouraged visitors to look at its other visitor information centres, website and social media.
Cafe co-founder Constantinos Theophanous, who will relocate the cafe from its current site in Wigton, said Moot Hall was "so iconic".
"We're a Cumbrian business and when we saw Moot Hall come up, it was meant to be," he continued.
"We want Keswick to thrive, the big thing for us was promoting local businesses and suppliers as well as holding workshops and classes," Theophanous added.
Thain said: "I've grown up visiting in Keswick, it is such a lovely atmosphere and everyone is so friendly.
He said he was "very open" to helping visitors who come into Moot Hall, when the cafe opened in the next few months.
"I once worked in an outdoor shop in Keswick, we always had tourists asking questions like 'how to get to Catbells' so I think helping with tourism comes part and parcel when you're working anywhere on the high street," he added.
Keswick Tourism Association previously said it felt it was "vital" to have a visitor information office of some type in the town.
