THE current owner of the blaze-hit ‘landmark’ Hartside cafe has abandoned plans to resurrect the place.

Plans were drawn up and submitted but after going back and forth the owner Dawn Dixon has decided she couldn’t fulfil her dreams.

The iconic cafe which was devastated by fire had looked set to rise from the ashes.

And there were hopes that Hartside Cafe would once again become a mecca for petrolheads - particularly bikers taking on the remarkable pass on which the new building would stand.

Hartside Cafe was gutted by a blaze in March 2018 - an incident which led to an outpouring of support for the family who had run the venue, where cyclists and motorcyclists would regularly stop off on the high-rise and winding road between Penrith and Alston.

The plan showed a vision for the state-of-the-art structure to stand on the site, which had new owners.

The previous owners Kathryn and Colin Renwick, who had run the business for 17 years, decided to retire in the wake of the fire, leaving the cafe’s future uncertain.

The site, at the top of the A686 Penrith-Alston road, 1,903ft above sea level, was on the market for offers of more than £300,000.

But Penrith-based property developer Dawn Dixon bought the site and she had big plans for the future.

After the pandemic and knock backs from planning she is now making plans to sell the site to two loyal customers

She said: “It has been a really difficult decision, I’m emotionally attached to the place. I have had so many potential buyers but I couldn’t let it just go to anyone.

"I’m in talks with two customers at the moment and it is not something I have decided to do easily. This place is unique. You come round the corner and you’re wowed by the views every time.

“I love it here, I have cried and cried. Since it was posted on Facebook, I haven’t spoken to anyone about it.

“But I couldn’t have done it without my amazing customers.”

Dawn, who has been running a catering trailer at the site, fondly remembers people who visited her such as the man who dropped in for a sandwich in his helicopter. She even got a ride in it, she excitedly explained.

She also recalls the day she had super cars at the cafe.

She said: “It’s a special place and I’m so proud to have been able to look after it.”