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26
Nov
Historic Knaresborough shop goes on the market
A historic Knaresborough business has been put on the market as its owner plans to retire after 20 years.
Ye Olde Chymist Shoppe, also known as The Oldest Chemist Shop in England, is a historic building on the Market Place housing a gift shop and Lavender tea rooms.
The grade two listed building opened as a chemist in about 1720 and ceased providing this service in 1997.
It has now been listed for sale at an asking price of £124,950 as owner Carole Bardon, 60, prepares for retirement.
Ms Bardon told the Stray Ferret she plans to retire within the next few years and hopes someone will continue the legacy of the shop.
She currently works seven days a week alongside her two sons and five permanent staff members.
She said:
I have had enough stress. Sometimes it can be a lot — we have thousands of items in the shop and then also have the tea rooms upstairs. I’d like to do something less stressful like working somewhere part-time.
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She added that she has not been on holiday for 10 years and would like to change that when the shop is sold.
Ms Bardon previously owned a newsagent near Rotherham for 16 years before moving to Harrogate and taking on the shop in Knaresborough in 2004.
She told the Stray Ferret that she is not expecting a quick sale due to the site being two businesses in one.
She said:
I hope it will be taken on by someone who will show a real interest. I am worried that someone will come in and want to change it completely.
There is no doubt I’ll miss it. I love everything about it, and I would like to thank everyone who has ever come in for their custom and I’ll miss the customers more than anything.
But all good things must come to an end.
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