A big landmark town centre site - including a popular Cockermouth cafe - has gone on the market with a guide price of £1million.

Mitchell's Auction Company, one of the town's oldest businesses, is looking into expansion plans.

Earlier this year, Cumberland Council planners agreed its outline application for a new building to house Mitchells Antiques & Fine Art Auction business on land at Lakeland Livestock Centre.

The site, within Cockermouth Conservation Area, is being marketed by Mitchells Land & Property, which describes it as "an exciting development opportunity".

The auction house, including café, offices and warehousing, has "the potential use for residential, hotel, care home/assisted living and retail", states the details.

It is being offered for sale in two lots and as a whole.

Lot One consists of "the Victorian stone-faced core of the building with roadside frontage to Station Road and Lorton Road containing on the ground floor an auction house, a café, offices and sales hall and offices and a one bed flat on the first floor all under a slate roof. Extending along Lorton Road are two warehouses".

Lot Two consists of two more modern warehouse units extending along Lorton Road.

Pre-application advice from Cumberland Council planning department advises no demolition of the Victorian auction mart building "due to its local historic significance and because of its prominent corner location within Cockermouth Conservation Area".

Mitchell's celebrated its 150th anniversary this year. It has steadily evolved over the years and in 2002 relocated its Livestock and Land Agency Divisions to what is now known as The Lakeland Livestock Centre on the outskirts of Cockermouth to enable the firm to expand.

At a town council meeting earlier this year, councillors raised concerns about the town centre buildings being left to fall into disrepair.

https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/23752673.lots-family-fun-offer-loweswater-show-weekend/

Mayor Julie Laidlow said this week: "It's sad they have outgrown their site but Lorton Road is a nightmare on sale day.

"It's very important that something is done with the building and it does not end up like the old fire station across the road.

"Veeva, the cafe, is so popular. I would like to see Mitchells investing in one of the empty shops in town and keeping it here."