The Wensleydale Arms
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The Wensleydale Arms |
| the Wensleydale Arms
Crooketon [1, 64]
Basic Info:
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Description
The Wensleydale Arms Public House is a formerly abandoned, red brick pub on the western side of Crooketon and is constructed out of solid stone and brick, like so many of Crooketon's older edifices. The remains of the inn's bell turret top the peak of the rooftop, the exterior is covered with lengths of ivy, and the grounds surrounding the public house are lush with untamed hedges and flowers.
Inside the Wensleydale Arms, the interior and fixtures consist mostly of aged wood, polished brass, and worn stone, giving the pub a rustic, yet cozy air.
History
Records found on the premises of The Wensleydale Arms indicate that the pub was established as early as 1674, but as a coaching inn under the name of The Hitching Post. At that time, The Hitching Post was the only tavern in the vicinity and thus, was extremely successful, especially to the farmers and merchants in the area. As centuries passed, The Hitching Post remained as a local favorite until one night in which the owner of the tavern was murdered in his sleep by his wife, for having committed adulterous acts with the tavern's youngest maid. Unfortunately, a year after that scandalous act, the neighboring village caught fire during a rather dry season and the fire spread, consuming the tavern's magnificent horse stables and windmill.
As centuries passed, The Hitching Post tavern traveled through various ownerships along with the changes in the surrounding area from expansive farms and majestic woods to tidy farms and villages. However, in 1912, The Hitching Post, under the new name of The Jaybird, was purchased by the Wensleydale family, a wealthy and honorable cheese-making family, who promptly changed the name to The Wensleydale Arms. Over the course of the following years, the Wensleydale Arms was refurbished and restored to its former glory. The old stables - once thought to be long-gone, were rebuilt with the help from old paintings found in the inn's expansive cellar; a fashionable clock was inlaid into the inn's gable; and a modest bell turret was constructed at the peak of the rooftop. This bell turret proved of use during World War II, when it was used as a siren for German air raids. After the war ended, the small amount of damage to the inn was repaired and life continued as usual.
Years flew by until the Spring of 2003, when a man claiming to be the long descendant of The Wensleydale Arms' previous owner fought for ownership of the building, claiming that the successful inn was his by birthright, using old documents and ledgers for evidence. The Wensleydale family, having run into some money trouble in the previous years, had no choice but to sell their pride and joy to the man. Over the course of the following year, the man changed the inn's name from The Wensleydale Arms to The Hind's Head, but unbeknownst to him, the Wensleydale family had, under the assumption that something was amiss, had hired a private investigator to dig into the past of the man. The investigator found that, not only was the man not the descendant of the original owner, that the man had forged the documents and ledgers used to prove the lineage, and that the man was actually a con artist, wanted for forgery and counterfeiting. The man was jailed and the Wensleydale family resumed ownership of The Wensleydale Arms, as far as the suburb of Crooketon was concerned.
Life and business returned to normal for a year until the zombie virus outbreak was unleashed upon Malton. The Wensleydale family did manage to escape the city in time and in time, managed to claim the insurance for the building. Over the years, the inn was abandoned in favor of more useful safehouses near tactical resource points like malls, forts, and Necrotech facilities. Eventually, The Wensleydale Arms was rediscovered and operated, but as the years passed, it has one again joined the ranks of abandoned buildings.
Barricade Policy
In keeping with the Crooketon Barricade Plan, the owner requests that all patrons assist in maintaining the barricades at Extremely Heavily Barricaded (EHB) at all times.
Current Status
- Somebody has spraypainted 'Pub closed indefinitely' onto a wall. -- TheBardofOld 21:09, 17 June 2014 (UTC)
- The Wensleydale Arms is, once again, alive and active, the sounds of laughter and music mixing with the smells of good food. -- TheBardofOld 20:59, 28 May 2014 (UTC)
- The Wensleydale Arms is temporarily closed for business as the all-in-one staff and owner are on holiday. TheBardofOld 18:26, 23 February 2014 (UTC)
- The suburb is quiet...too quiet. -- TheBardofOld 00:01, 10 October 2012 (BST)
- The zombie threat gone, patrons have returned in full force. -- TheBardofOld 21:07, 9 July 2012 (BST)
- Zombies have left the premises and the pub has been retaken and repaired. Its residents have returned and newcomers arrive frequently. The 'Dale is back in business. --NightsideEclipse 11:40, 14 May 2012 (BST)
- The pub has been overtaken. Wensleydale residents have either relocated to nearby dwellings or have fallen. Reconstruction will wait until the dead has moved on, which could be a while. -- TheBardofOld 01:09, 12 May 2012 (BST)
- Zombie presence has increased as the preparations for the party are underway. Surrounding buildings connecting the block island to the mainland are periodically ruined and rebuilt, causing problems for free-runners. -- TheBardofOld 18:23, 5 May 2012 (BST)
- The threat has subsided. The suburb is a ghost town. --NightsideEclipse 05:00, 17 April 2012 (BST)
- Recent news of an approaching horde has resulted in patrons and management preparing for destruction and departure. -- TheBardofOld 00:16, 2 April 2012 (BST)
