Michael's Nook to be converted into homes

Reg Gifford is closing his Cumbrian country house hotel Michael's Nook after 32 years. Its last day of trading will be 2 April.

Gifford, who is in his seventies, had open-heart surgery 18 months ago. He took the decision to close the hotel after being advised by his doctor to take life easy.

He said: "I had to think carefully about my alternatives and I decided in the end that it was in my best interests to shut it down entirely."

The Victorian building, in Grasmere, will be converted into four luxury homes. They will then be sold.

Gifford added: "I didn't want to sell it as a hotel, because I would hate to see someone come in and buy it, and then watch it go downhill."

Gifford bought Michael's Nook in 1967. At that time he also had an antiques business and a restaurant in Grasmere called Two Singing Birds. The restaurant closed in the early 1980s.

Michael's Nook was originally Gifford's home. He reopened it as a country house hotel towards the end of 1969. Today it has 12 bedrooms and two suites, along with a 45-seat one-Michelin-starred restaurant.

Its 20 staff were told of Gifford's plans last week. He said they were shocked and "had no idea whatsoever".

He added that the issue of what would happen to them "had not been resolved yet".

Gifford also owns the 37-bedroom Wordsworth hotel in Grasmere. He bought it in 1979 and it opened as a hotel in 1981. He has a management team who run it and has no plans to close or sell it.

Gifford will not be retiring completely, as he plans to spend a couple of days working at the Wordsworth each week.