By Sarah Willcocks

WALKING into the turreted mini castle that is now home to Gazebo Antiques and Vintage it is hard to believe that this striking building stood empty for 20 years. “It’s such a fabulous space,” says Karen Little, who opened her antiques shop here in June. “I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to work in a place like this. It’s incredibly peaceful here.”

Originally from Durham City, Karen has lived in Weardale for the best part of 30 years. “My mum used to live just over the wall from the Durham Dales Centre car park and I would often sit and look over at the Gazebo and be intrigued by the building.”

By chance, Karen was visiting the centre in October last year to buy a birthday card when she happened to ask the woman serving about the possibility of renting one of the retail units. However there was a nagging doubt in Karen’s mind that a modern space would not match her antique and vintage theme. Unbeknown to Karen, the property manager was just about to return from holiday and was on the brink of deciding the fate of the Gazebo.

“The timing was absolutely spooky. When I was told that none of the modern units were available, I never dreamt that the Gazebo would be suggested instead,” she says.

Built in 1872 as the summerhouse for Stanhope Castle, the building was refurbished many years ago, but remained empty for so long that it needed a bit of attention and there was damp in one corner.

“I was in no rush as I wanted to build up my stock. I love the building so much I would have waited forever for it,” says Karen. Following a makeover from the decorators, Karen finally got the key in the summer.

“We opened officially in June. The Dales Garden is situated adjacent to the Gazebo and that was also having a lot of work done so we decided to reopen them both together. We’ve had a great start. People often comment that we are tucked out of the way, but there isn’t the room for loads of footfall.”

The size of the building is the main challenge for Karen. “It may look like a castle, but it’s tiny,” she says. This week she has two van loads of antiques arriving, but says it’s amazing how it gets absorbed into the space, with most items finding a place for display.

For a small building, the four-feet wide entrance door is huge and Karen has it open for as many days of the year as the weather will allow, and with limited storage, she sometimes has to resort to a temporary solution. “I just use my tiny Peugeot 206 as a stock room,” she laughs.

Karen has had a passion for the past since she was a child and has always been a collector. She has worked in the antiques trade since her son was a toddler, when she started selling on eBay. “I did it back-to-front,” she says. “When people had shops, I was trading on the internet and now the dealers are using the web, I’ve opened a shop.” Future plans do include giving the Gazebo a strong web presence, however, and selling over the internet as well as the counter in Stanhope.

For Karen, the secret to success is having a knack for matching the right item to the best buyer. She specialises in the arts and crafts and art nouveau periods, but the Gazebo is an Aladdin’s cave of rare and interesting items including traditional and updated antiques, costumes, linens, furnishings, interior pieces and quirky vintage items.

A favourite piece at the moment is an oak Victorian hall chair about the same age as the Gazebo. Like many of Karen’s finds, it is typically quirky. She also has a soft spot for a black, cast iron decorative pediment. “I think it’s from the gable end of a church roof and looks Gothic. It’s got just the right look for the Gazebo.”

Karen tends to go for items that are affordable and traditional, but with a twist, often a little bit funky. It’s not unusual for her to stock pieces that are less than 25 years old if the look is right for her shop. “At the moment we’ve a pair of curtains from the 1980s that are quite fun and they complement the rest of the stock.”

One of the Gazebo’s most commented-on features is its ambience. “It’s got such a lovely atmosphere,” says Karen. “Even the young lads who did the plastering noticed it. I feel incredibly lucky to run my antiques shop from such a fantastic historic building.”

  • Gazebo Antiques & Vintage, The Gazebo, Durham Dales Centre, Stanhope, County Durham, DL13 2FJ, is open from 12-5pm every day and at other times by appointment. For more information, call 07840 221 070 or email gazeboantiques@gmail.com