A pet shop claiming to be the oldest in the UK has been put up for sale.

WE Howden in Coldstream, Berwickshire, was established in 1830 by George Wilson, the inventor of sheep dip, and has seen only four owners during its existence.

The company is being  sold by the Edinburgh commercial agency branch of Allied Surveyors and Borders-based solicitor and estate agent Hastings Legal.

According to Allied Surveyors, the business is trading from distinctive premises in Coldstream High Street. The B-listed frontage is easily identified by the Roman style columns each crafted from pink polished granite.

The current owner has operated the business for the past 45 years but has now decided to take retirement. He is only the fourth owner of WE Howden since 1830 and is now actively seeking a new owner who can continue its history and traditions, whilst also preserving the opulent fixtures and fittings in the shop. The dispensary in the front shop area, for example, was last fitted in 1896 and all of the fittings are original.

The business has a guide price of £175,000. It has an annual turnover of £160,000+, 30-35% gross profit.

To view the agents’ details of the sale click here