The former Hartside Cafe — hailed by supporters as one of the country’s most iconic cafes — is set to be rebuilt after it was destroyed in a fire six years ago.
On the A686 between Alston and Penrith, it was a popular stop for motorists — particularly bikers — 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 of the cafe is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the second largest of the 40 AONBs in England and Wales, which share the same levels of legal protection from development as a national park.
The building stands at the summit of Hartside at 1,904ft (580m) above sea level. It is thought to have originally been built as a transport cafe for lorries in 1910.
Mrs Dixon bought the site in 2019 and said her sons Tom and Rudy would help with running the cafe.
She said the building would be made from huge sheets of steel and glass.
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.
