Crooked House: Owners of wonky pub ordered to rebuild

The owners of The Crooked House pub have been ordered to rebuild “Britain’s wonkiest inn” after it was destroyed last year in a suspected arson attack.

South Staffordshire Council has served an enforcement notice on the owners of the pub in Himley, near Dudley.

The council said it had engaged with the owners since the demolition but had reached a point where formal action was considered necessary.

It requires the building to be built back to what it was prior to the fire.

Leader of South Staffordshire Council Roger Lees said: “A huge amount of time and resources have been put into investigating the unauthorised demolition of the Crooked House.

“We have had great support from the local community, our MPs and the Mayor of the West Midlands, and from the campaign group whose aim is to see the Crooked House back to its former glory which is the key objective of the enforcement notice.”

Mr Lees said the authority had “not taken this action lightly” but it was “committed to do what we can to get the Crooked House rebuilt.”

The pub’s owners have 30 days to appeal and the notice must be complied with within three years.

The pub caught fire on 5 August in a suspected arson attack and was demolished two days later.

Staffordshire Police is treating the blaze as arson, five men and one woman were arrested in connection with the fire and remain on bail.

The Crooked House, known for its sloping walls and floor, was demolished less than two days after the fire broke out

Paul Turner, the campaign leader of the Save the Crooked House Facebook group, said its members were “very, very happy with the work that the council has done so quickly.”

Mr Turner, from Wombourne, said he was surprised that the enforcement notice had happened within six months.

He described the Crooked House as a Black Country icon that had attracted attention from all over the world.

“I think it will ultimately be rebuilt but we have to wait and see what happens,” he added.

The 18th Century pub had been a popular attraction in the region, with visitors flocking to see the distinctive leaning building.

It was first built in 1765 as a farmhouse, but due to mining in the area during the early 19th Century, one side of the building began to gradually sink.

The distinctive pub had been owned by Marston’s PLC, but was put up for sale as part of a nationwide review by the Wolverhampton-based company. It was sold in July 2023 to ATE Farms Limited.

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