Refurbishment carried out at Ulverston's Meditation Centre

The Conishead Priory and the World Peace Cafe at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, the internationally renowned centre for meditation in Ulverston, have been refurbished in the past weeks.

The World Peace Cafe re-opened recently after being closed for several weeks for renovations. The work was carried out mostly by volunteers and some local builders.

Kelsang Lhachog, of Manjushri KMC, explained the cafe has become 'increasingly popular' with the local community.

World Peace Café refurbished (Image: Submitted) She said: "We needed to rethink the layout and design to meet the growing demand. The new-look cafe allows us to serve more people, more quickly. It is also stunning.

"We also installed a gazebo for outdoor cafe seating which is very popular in the summer months, particularly with dog walkers.

"The cafe is part of an ongoing program of refurbishment, maintenance and restoration. Ever since we first purchased the Priory in 1976, we have worked tirelessly to restore and care for this important piece of local history."

When they first moved in, the Priory was derelict and close to collapse. Kelsang said over the decades they have embarked on a program of maintenance and restoration to 'bring the building back to life and ensure its long-term future.'

The Priory houses a Buddhist Temple, a gift shop and a bookstore with a six-minute woodland walk to the beach with views of Morecambe Bay.

Work being carried out in the chimneys (Image: Submitted) In addition to the cafe refurbishment, they repainted the front of the main building, redecorated the dining room and restored the stonework on some of the chimneys.

Kelsang added: "The Priory is a popular local attraction with hundreds of people visiting every week to take advantage of the beautiful grounds and enjoy the peaceful and welcoming environment created by our resident Buddhist community.

"Visitors are always welcome - whether it's to go for a lovely walk in the woodlands, indulge in a tasty treat at the new-look cafe or find some inner peace with one of our free guided meditations."

The Priory is open daily from 11am to 5pm.

For more information, people can visit www.manjushri.org