A MUCH-loved bookshop is set to close down after 62 years in business.

Cornerstone Books and Gifts in Ulverston has announced that Hallowe'en will be the shop’s last day of trading.

Established by the Lonsdale Bible Society in 1958, the shop’s trustees have revealed that the Coronavirus pandemic has influenced their decision to draw an end to the story of the Market Street venture.

In Cumbria:

The trustees said: “The decision to close wasn’t taken lightly. It has been informed by the increase in online book purchases and the pressures incurred by the current pandemic.

“The latter has caused many of us to reflect on what is important in life.

“For most of us it’s relationships with family, friends, community, the people we love, God’s love and His offer of relationship is the message of the Christian Gospel and central to the work of Cornerstone.

“It is a message that will continue in new and different ways, long after Cornerstone’s doors have closed.”

In Cumbria:

The shop, which has been staffed by dedicated volunteers since it started, moved to its current premises on Market Street in 2010 as the shop wanted to be more accessible to a wider range of people.

In 2018, the shop marked its 60th anniversary with a celebratory service at Ulverston Methodist Church in Neville Street, but are now preparing to close its doors.

With a closing down sale now on, the trustees would like to thank their customers throughout the years.

In Cumbria:

They said: “The trustees and manager would like to thank all the volunteers and customers for their support over many years. Without you we couldn’t have come this far [and] look forward with hope to what the future holds.”

Cllr David Webster said: "The shop has served this community extremely well over the years and is one that a lot of people have used. It is a sad day because a shop that has been there for so long has to close and will be missed.”