Last updated at 12:23, Friday, 01 March 2013

THE owners of a popular bed and breakfast have put their business up for sale, with an asking price of almost half-a-million pounds.

PRETTY Dot Williams admires the view out of one of the windows at Black Combe House. Dot and her husband Ed are retiring

Ed and Dot Williams have decided to put Black Combe House, in Kirksanton, near Millom, on the market as they move towards retirement.

The couple have spent nearly a decade at the helm of the eight-bedroom guest house, which is being marketed with a price tag of £495,000.

Mrs Williams said: “We’re over the retiring age now and we decided that we wanted to retire, if we can sell the place. If not we’ll plod on.

“We’ve really enjoyed it but perhaps now we ought to retire while we’ve still got the energy left.”

The couple fell in love with Cumbria, having holidayed in the county for a number of years, before purchasing the B&B in 2004.

Before taking the plunge on the guest house, Mr Williams had planned to buy a fishery. But he has since settled for a goldfish pond in the back garden of the village property.

Mrs Williams said: “Both of us had different jobs and decided on a change of life.

“Originally when we thought of moving up to Cumbria we were looking at somewhere around the Penrith area.

“We kept coming up at weekends, after seeing different places on the internet. After we saw this property we decided it was the place for us.”

Mr Williams spent more than 40 years as a joiner in Wigan, while Mrs Williams enjoyed a 20-year teaching career in Warrington, before their move.

Mrs Williams says the guest house has enjoyed a continuous growth in business since it opened, following refurbishment, in 2005.

And she gave her top tips for anyone looking to purchase the property. She said: “If you think about it in terms of what you would like: a clean room and a good breakfast. You should also be friendly but not intrusive.

“A lot of the people who stay with us become good friends.

“We’ve had consistent custom over the years. We’ve always done very well and get a lot of repeat business.”

First published at 16:41, Thursday, 28 February 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk