Firefighters from County Durham & Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) were called to the Eldon Arms in Ferryhill after a fire took hold of the building in the early hours of the morning.
Crews tackled the blaze for more than eight hours and left the scene after the fire was extinguished at 12:30pm. Police also closed off Mainsforth Road and Chilton Lane roundabout.
Boarded up
Photos from the incident showed damage to the roof in several areas, as well as one of the windows, which were previously boarded up.
A County Durham & Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) spokesperson told The Morning Advertiser (The MA): “We were called at 4.03am on Tuesday 5 January 5 to a fire at the derelict Eldon Arms Pub & Hotel in Ferryhill.
“Three fire engines attended from Spennymoor and Durham Fire Stations, along with the aerial ladder platform from Durham Fire Station.
Development opportunity
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire using hose reels and jets.”
The Eldon Arms, which dates back to the 1870s, has been derelict since its closure during the Covid pandemic in 2021.
Previously owned by Samuel Smiths Brewery, the pub was listed for auction in October last year and marketed as a development opportunity.
