Once a place of prayer, the former Gospel Hall on Queen Street in Penrith is set for a new lease of life, with plans submitted to transform the building into a pottery café.
The hall, which went under the hammer in July, sold for £130,000 – twice its £65,000 guide price.
Built in the 1890s, the Gospel Hall is a modest late-19th-century sandstone church situated within the Penrith Conservation Area. Its design features traditional ecclesiastical elements of the period, including coursed stonework and large glazed window panels.
The application to Westmorland and Furness Council for change of use from a place of worship to class E usage covering commercial, business, and service activities, The application proposes adapting the building for continued community use, converting it into a pottery café while retaining and enhancing its historic character. The submitted plans include the creation of a mezzanine floor over part of the internal space, together with an areas accommodating a pottery wheel, a kitchen area and serving area.
Pottery cafés typically provide a creative and social environment where visitors can decorate ceramics such as mugs, plates, and bowls. Once painted, the pieces are glazed and fired on-site for collection at a later date. Many also incorporate a café, offering hot drinks and light refreshments alongside the craft activities, making them popular with families, schools, and community groups.
In its application to the council the applicants said they hope the council can help them “to move forward with our dream”.
The application will be considered by council officers with the town council invited to give comment as part of the planning consultation process.
Details of the application can be found via https://planningregister.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk//Planning/Display/2025/1372/FPA
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