The Crooked House is nestled in Himley, South Staffordshire.
It is known affectionately as “Britain’s wonkiest pub,” its distinctiveness stemmed from a 19th-century mining subsidence that left one side of the building lower than the other.
This unique tilt created optical illusions that delighted visitors, making objects appear to roll uphill and furniture seem askew.
The Crooked House Used To Be Coppice Mill
The Crooked Hosue was originally built in 1765.
In the beginning, it was served as Coppice Mill, a corn mill on Oak Farm within the Glynne estate in Himley, Staffordshire.
By the 1830s, the mill was converted into a pub and initially named the Glynne Arms, honoring Sir Stephen Glynne.
By the 1850s, the building had acquired a pronounced lean, leading locals to dub it “The Siden House”—”siden” being Black Country dialect for “crooked.”
Why Was The House Crooked?
In the 1850s, the surrounding area saw the establishment of coal mines, including the substantial Himley Colliery owned by the Earl of Dudley.
The Crooked House became crooked due to subsidence caused by the coal mining activities in the area.
The mining operations weakened the ground beneath the building, leading to one side sinking lower than the other.
This resulted in the distinctive tilt, with one side of the building being approximately four feet (1.2 meters) lower than the other.
While the primary cause was coal mining, the softening of the ground by the mill race (a channel carrying water to or from a watermill) might have also contributed to the subsidence.
This combination of factors gave the Crooked House its unique, leaning appearance.
The Optical Illusions Made The House Famous
The Crooked House’s leaning walls gave rise to fascinating optical illusions.
Objects such as bottles and marbles seemed to defy gravity, rolling uphill along the dado rails and tabletops.
Fixtures like the grandfather clock and chandeliers hung at odd angles, enhancing the sense of disorientation.
These quirks made the pub a novelty attraction, drawing visitors from across the globe, including countries as far afield as China, Russia, Japan, the United States, and Canada.
The Crooked House Faced Several Challenges Over The Years
The building was strengthened with buttresses by 1904.
By the 1940s, the building was deemed unsafe and slated for demolition.
However, Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries purchased the pub in 1957, investing £10,000 (approximately £300,000 in 2023) to stabilize it using steel tie rods and reinforced buttresses.
A significant fire in 1986 caused further damage to the first floor and roof.
The following year, the brewery again invested £360,000 (approximately £1,000,000 in 2023) in renovations.
In 2002, the pub was officially renamed The Crooked House, aligning with its long-standing colloquial name.
The 2023 Fire And Controversial Demolition
The Crooked House was put up for sale in March 2023 and changed hands by July, to ATE Farms Ltd, a property firm linked to a nearby quarrying business.
Sadly, on the evening of August 5, 2023, a devastating fire gutted the pub’s interior and destroyed part of its structure, including the roof.
Emergency crews from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and West Midlands Fire Service responded, though their efforts were hindered by a blocked access road.
Despite initial plans to preserve the remaining structure, the building was controversially demolished on August 7, 2023, by an excavator hired by AT Contracting and Plant Hire.
Despite the South Staffordshire Council’s instructions to preserve what remained, the building was controversially demolished just two days later, on August 7, 2023, by an excavator hired by AT Contracting and Plant Hire.
Community Response and Legal Proceedings
The demolition was met with fierce opposition from local authorities and the public.
South Staffordshire Council leader Roger Lees condemned the action as “completely unacceptable.”
Legal proceedings followed, with multiple arrests on charges of arson with intent to endanger life.
In February 2024, an enforcement notice was issued requiring the landowner to rebuild The Crooked House using reclaimed bricks and photographic references to ensure accuracy.
Despite an appeal from the landowners proposing a nearby relocation, campaigners remain determined to see the pub restored to its original site.