Harbour House cafe in Kingsbridge is hoping to reopen in the new year after storm damage left the Grade II-listed building requiring extensive repairs.

The hospitality space was forced to close after suffering “terrible damage” when the first storms of the season swept through the South Hams in September.

But two months on, restoration work is progressing slowly as the charity continues to liaise with insurers and loss adjusters.

Harbour House Chief Executive Amy Dickson said the building had first needed to be thoroughly dried out before repairs could begin, with the process taking longer because of its listed status.

“Drying out a listed building is a very slow process, but we are working with a wonderful company,” she said.

“The building needs to be dried slowly to ensure the process doesn’t cause any further damage or cracks. That’s why we’re working with the best people so the restoration is carried out in a responsible way.”

Now that the building has sufficiently dried out, the next stage will involve stripping out and replacing the ceiling insulation before the cafe can be restored.

Ms Dickson said the cafe was still a few months away from reopening, but added that insurers were expected to cover the cost of returning the recently refurbished space to its former standard.

The charity has also been in discussions with potential new managers for the cafe, an opportunity Ms Dickson said they were “really excited” about.

She said: “The flood was devastating for us. We believe Harbour House is a core part of the community, so we hate seeing it closed, but the silver lining, I suppose, is that we can use this opportunity to have a bit of a refurb and give the cafe a fresh lick of paint.”

Describing the damage as an example of “climate change in action”, Ms Dickson thanked the community for its patience.

She added that everyone at Harbour House was “excited to welcome people back” when the cafe finally reopens.