The former home of a quirky cafe on Canterbury high street has sold at auction for the second time in seven months – after plans to turn it into a nail bar were scrapped.

Boho Cafe Bar, in the heart of the city, closed in July 2020 after struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.

The Grade II-listed building was previously owned by the historic neighbouring Eastbridge Hospital Trust, which sold it at auction last November for £400,000.

But the buyers have already offloaded the high street site, swallowing a £50,000 loss after it again went under the hammer on Thursday, selling for its guide price of £350,000.

It has also been confirmed that plans to convert the once-heaving cafe into a nail bar have been axed, with planning applications withdrawn last month.

The plans to transform the building included a “more modern and appealing” shopfront, which was branded “horrendous” in March by concerned residents.

Clive Bowley, of the Canterbury Heritage Design Forum group , which seeks to preserve the city’s architectural history and integrity, slated the scheme, saying: “The proposal is horrendous and we are very concerned about it.

“The building is Georgian and its existing shopfront was installed in 1906, but the modern aluminium glazing being proposed is totally inappropriate.

“We have been trying to preserve our traditional shopfronts and this would be completely wrong in this historic setting.”

The owners of the High Street site had applied for listed building consent to rip out the existing Victorian-style frontage and replace it with aluminium glazing as part of alterations for the new business.

The sale of the property comes less than three months after those proposals were submitted.

Auctioneers Clive Emson described 27 High Street as “an attractive three-storey mid-terrace property situated in a prime central location in the heart of the city”.

The new owners will have access to three floors, including a kitchen, toilets and accommodation on the top floor. The property also has an enclosed courtyard.

It had been a long-time fixture on the high street, with one supporter describing it as “part of the furniture”.