11, Market Place, Bishop Auckland, DL13 1QF

An exciting opportunity to acquire a well-positioned café premises with spacious residential accommodation and three garages, occupying a prominent position within the marketplace at the heart of the popular Weardale village of St John’s Chapel, within the North Pennines National Landscape.

Known locally as Chatterbox Café, the property offers considerable versatility and will be of interest to purchasers looking to continue the existing café use, those seeking commercial premises with accommodation alongside, or buyers exploring alternative uses, subject to any necessary consents.

The ground-floor commercial accommodation is centred around a generously proportioned café/dining area, providing ample space for customer seating.

The bright and welcoming dining area is complemented by a dedicated café kitchen, together with WC and useful ancillary accommodation.

Importantly, the contents of the café and café kitchen are included within the sale, providing an excellent opportunity for an incoming purchaser looking to continue operating the premises as a café.

A particularly useful feature of the property is the inclusion of three adjoining garages, providing valuable storage, workshop or ancillary space.

Immediately outside the garages is an established outdoor seating area with wooden picnic tables which has been used in conjunction with the café for many years.

Further details regarding this area are provided within the Agent’s Notes below.

First-Floor Apartment The property also incorporates self-contained residential accommodation, principally arranged at first-floor level and offering generously proportioned and flexible living space.

The apartment comprises two double bedrooms, a generous living room, bathroom and separate WC.

The accommodation also benefits from its own residential kitchen at ground-floor level, which is entirely separate from the café kitchen and is accessed via a separate entrance.

This arrangement makes the property particularly well suited to an owner-occupier wishing to live alongside their business, whilst also offering potential for separate residential occupation or letting, subject to any necessary consents.

Location Chatterbox Café occupies a prominent and convenient position within the marketplace in St John’s Chapel, an attractive and well-established village in the heart of Upper Weardale.

St John’s Chapel is situated within the North Pennines National Landscape, an area renowned for its spectacular open countryside, traditional villages and distinctive rural character.

The setting makes the village an attractive base for residents and visitors alike, with the surrounding countryside offering excellent opportunities for walking, cycling and exploring the wider Durham Dales and North Pennines.

The property itself enjoys good visibility within the village and sits amongst the traditional stone-built properties which give St John’s Chapel much of its character.

Overall, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a substantial mixed-use property combining established café premises, self-contained residential accommodation and three garages in the centre of St John’s Chapel, all within the recognised North Pennines National Landscape.

With the café contents and kitchen equipment included within the sale, the property should appeal to those seeking a lifestyle business, investment opportunity or adaptable village property.

Agent’s Notes Café Contents: The contents of the café and café kitchen are included within the sale. Heating: The property is served by an oil-fired boiler situated within the boiler room.

Outside Areas: Prospective purchasers should be aware that the area immediately outside the three garages, currently used by the café as an outdoor seating area with wooden tables, does not presently form part of the registered title.

We are advised, however, that this area has been used solely in connection with the café for many years.

It may therefore be possible for a purchaser to seek to have this land incorporated into the registered title by way of an application based upon adverse possession, subject to satisfying the relevant legal requirements.

Purchasers should take independent legal advice in this regard.

We are advised that the same position applies to the cobbled area to the rear of the café and in front of the apartment, which does not presently form part of the registered title but has similarly been used in connection with the property for many years.

It may therefore be possible to make an application based upon adverse possession in respect of this area. Purchasers should satisfy themselves as to the position through their legal adviser.

Please note: No representation or warranty is given by the vendor or selling agent that any application for adverse possession would be successful, and prospective purchasers should rely upon their own solicitor’s advice and investigations.

Disclaimer: These particulars are intended to give a fair description of the property but do not constitute part of an offer or contract.

All descriptions, dimensions, references to condition and necessary permissions for use and occupation, and other details are given in good faith and are believed to be correct, but any intending purchasers should not rely on them as statements or representations of fact and must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to their accuracy.

No person in the employment of the seller or agent has any authority to make or give any representation or warranty in relation to this property.

We are obliged to conduct an Anti-Money Laundering (aml) check on all buyers, this is a legal requirement, it’s an online process and doesn’t affect your credit score.

We charge a fee for the aml check, which our Onboarding and Compliance Team will collect once a buyer has had an offer accepted on a property.