A much-loved café serving Dorchester has been sold. 

The Octagon café, based on Wishay Street off Pummery Square in Poundbury, ceased trading at the end of February.

The quirky café was known for having eight sides and its close position to Brownsword Hall.

It opened during the early development of Poundbury in 2006. 

The owner took to the cafe's Facebook page to thank the community for its customs and well-wishes. 

It is believed to have been the first café in Poundbury, appearing on phase one of the development.

The former owner of the café confirmed that the property has been sold and will reopen again.

The new owner said that the café will open again 'by the end of the month.'  It is not known at this point whether it will keep the name of the Octagon Café.

This news comes after several other hospitality businesses in the area have had to close their doors. 

Hendover Café, an independant café that drew its name from a piece of ancient woodland set in the heart of Dorset - Hendover Coppice, near Batcombe, served its final coffee at the end of February.

In an emotional social media post, its owner Paul Collins, apologised to and thanked customers after having to take the tough decision to cease trading due to rising costs.

Asian street food café, Ambience, also in Dorchester, closed its doors in January, despite receiving five star reviews from diners.

Located in an alleyway just off Trinity Street, it was a multifunctional retro café which served Cantonese cuisine, bubble tea, smoothies, and coffees.

It was also a licensed cocktail bar with DJ events taking place throughout last year and its owner Suzhan Ngan said she had become 'burnt out' trying to keep the business afloat.

In September, Dorchester’s long-standing Italian restaurant, La Caverna, also fell victim to rising costs as it closed its doors for the final time.

The restaurant, which was located on Icen Way, was forced to shut down its operations after three decades of feeding the people of Dorchester.

After closing, the restaurant's owners held a ‘yard sale’ for two weeks at the restaurant, which saw them sell everything from tables, chairs and kitchen equipment.