Mortens was established in 1937 by Ralph Morten, whose wife Barbara ran the business through the war years after he was called up for active service. The Mortens had no children, so in the 1970s they sold the shop to two employees, Brian Senior and Keith Hart. Brian’s son Stephen is the current co-owner. The business occupies prominent corner premises on Cunliffe Road, and has expanded since it first opened to take over the entire block of shops.

A announcement on Mortens’ Facebook page read: “We have made the extremely difficult decision to close our housewares, kitchenware and bathroom departments by the end of May.

"The good news is we will be carrying on as normal in our hardware departments, where we will continue to offer a first-class service with an expanded and unrivalled range of products for your home and garden.

"We have not taken this decision lightly but feel this is the best option to ensure our future presence in Ilkley.

"We would like to thank our loyal customers and wonderful staff for all your help & support over the past 75 years. We look forward to continuing to welcome you to Yorkshire’s Famous Hardware Store for many years to come.”

The shop carries more than 40,000 product lines, selling small items such as lightbulbs alongside cooking utensils, tools and gardening equipment. Staff tend to be former tradesmen or women with expert knowledge of DIY. Mr Senior’s co-director is David Jowett, who has worked at the shop since he was a teenager 40 years ago.

The stock has adapted to changing tastes, with interest in silver-plated tea sets, wedding china and wallpaper all declining over the years. Christmas trees are now sold.

The business has been called an ‘Ilkley institution’ for its popularity with several generations of DIY enthusiasts and gardeners, and prides itself on offering a friendly service. It enjoyed a sales boom in lockdown as customers took on more home and garden projects.

Mortens of Ilkley: Ironmongers and hardware store that has traded in Yorkshire since 1937 to close houseware, kitchen and bathroom departments