THE new tenants of one of Kendal's oldest pubs have celebrated a lively reopening of the premises.

Tony Greenwood has taken over the running of the Old Fleece Inn, on Highgate, with wife Clare, two of her sons, Alfie and Joey, and her mother Lynda Whitehead.

They moved into the hostelry, which is said to have been built in 1654, earlier this month after the previous tenants left last year and the doors were closed.

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"The pub had been closed for a good few months before Christmas and unfortunately it was burgled on Boxing Day," said Mr Greenwood, 43.

"The damage was minimal, as was the theft – there was a bit of damage in the cellar but nothing overly significant.

"But it's a beautiful area. We've come here from York but we're now looking to become part of the furniture in the town.

"We looked at a couple of pubs in Kendal because we love the town but the minute we walked through the door, even though it was filthy, we just fell in love with it."

In the early stages of their stewardship the Old Fleece Inn is serving traditional pub food, but once the new kitchen is up and running there will be a carvery, specialist burgers and much more.

There are also big plans for the pub's three function rooms, which are set to include a permanent tea room.

But just under a week after the new tenants moved in, the pub was once again ready for customers to return on Friday.

"Friday night was steady," added Mr Greenwood. "There were a lot of people in who were just visiting Kendal and a few locals as well. It was an intimate night meeting lots of nice people.

"By Saturday word must have got around because it was heaving. It was three deep at the bar. It was absolutely bouncing.

"What we're after now is longevity. This isn't a temporary move for us, it's permanent, and we're throwing our heart and souls into it."