The Woolpack in Emmerdale is the centre of the show and has been for almost 50 years. It’s seen plenty of drama, births, deaths, armed sieges and the legendary plane crash back in the 1990s.
Here’s the lowdown on everything you need to know about Emmerdale’s famous pub.
Early days at The Woolpack in Emmerdale
When Emmerdale began as Emmerdale Farm in 1972, Amos Brearly was the landlord of The Woolie.
He had owned the pub since 1948 and ran a tight ship. One of his most loyal customers had been Jacob Sugden – grandfather of Robert, Andy and Victoria – who drank himself into an early grave.
The first episode of Emmerdale (Farm) featured Jacob’s funeral.
According to Emmerdale history, the Woolpack had stood strong since the 18th century, but in 1976, The Woolpack began falling down thanks to subsidence.
Amos realised it was unsafe and converted another building in the village into the pub, which is the building it’s still in now.
Read more: Who plays Kev in Emmerdale and what’s he been in before?
The first bit of drama involving The Woolpack on screen was in the 1980s, when Amos was held up at gunpoint by two teenagers.
Later, Amos’s frenemy Seth Armstrong booked two strippers for the pub and caused a riot!
Amos retired in 1990 and Alan Turner took over the pub.
The Woolpack and the Emmerdale plane crash
In 1993, a plane crashed into the village. Falling debris hit The Woolpack and Chris Tate, who was in the pub when the plane crashed, was badly hurt.
He was paralysed from the waist down and ended up in a wheelchair.
The pub was rebuilt and Alan carried on running it until he suffered a heart attack in 1999 and retired.
Births and deaths in The Woolpack in Emmerdale
Unsurprisingly, Emmerdale’s pub has seen people pop their clogs, and welcomed others into the world.
There was joy for Chas Dingle when she gave birth to daughter Eve in the less than ideal surroundings of the Woolie toilets back in 2019.
But tragedy has haunted the pub too.
Marlon Dingle’s first wife Tricia Stokes – granddaughter of landlord Alan Turner – was killed during a storm that caused the pub chimney to collapse, trapping Tricia under the rubble.
And in 2013, The Woolpack was the scene of the dramatic siege.
The Woolpack Siege
Evil Cameron Murray, Emmerdale’s most charming and brutal serial killer, returned to the village in a torrential rain storm. He locked poor Marlon in the cellar and then took several drinkers hostage at gun point, including Debbie Dingle and Chas Dingle among others.
After a struggle, Cameron shot Alicia Gallagher in the stomach. She survived and he released the hostages, except for Debbie and Chas. The women ended up in the flooded cellar, Marlon having escaped. And in gripping scenes Cameron tried to drown his former lovers but was eventually electrocuted in the water, just as the police rescued Debbie and Chas.
Woolpack landlords and landladies
Since Alan Turner retired there have been several owners of the pub. Diane Sugden and her daughter Bernice Blackstock ran the pub for many years. Louise Appleton had a share for a while, and Diane’s sister Val Lambert (later Val Pollard).
Nicola and Jimmy King owned the pub very briefly, before returning it to Diane, who later sold half of the shares to Chas Dingle.
Chas and Diane ran the pub together very happily until Charity Dingle took on Diane’s half.
Earlier this year, Charity was forced to sell her half to Marlon, after she was kicked out by cousin Chas.
Who’s been your favourite owner of the Woolie?
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