Crooked House, Himley

The fire and subsequent unauthorised demolition of the Crooked House was widely publicised. The former pub was situated in Himley near Dudley, close to the borders of the historic counties of Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

Built as a farmhouse circa 1765, it was converted to a public house around 1830. By this time, it had suffered from mining subsidence and had acquired its wonky appearance. A local attraction, it was known as the Glynne Arms until it was renamed in the early 2000s. One end of the building was four feet lower than the other, and optical illusions created by the lean made it appear that objects placed on surfaces inside the pub could roll uphill.

The building was not listed, although Historic England had received a request for listing status in July 2023 and had started actioning it. This was because in March 2023, the owners, Marston’s, placed the Crooked House on the market. It was reported by the Guardian that it had been bought by a local company, ATE Farms, on 27 July 2023. On the evening of 5 August the building burnt down. Concerns were raised as the vehicular access had been partially blocked using mounds of earth, preventing firefighters from reaching it easily. Two days later, the remaining standing structure was demolished by plant brought on to the site.

There was public confusion about the status of the building after the fire. Questions were asked about whether it could and should be rebuilt, and how this might be enforced. The building was neither listed nor within a conservation area, nor is it clear if the fire-damaged remains were considered dangerous. As it was a public house, demolition would have required planning permission, which it did not have.

The leader of the council issued a press. ‘The agreed course of action included the removal of three elements of the first-floor front elevation only,’ he explained. ‘This was only to avoid the weak parts of the structure from falling… At no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure, nor was this deemed necessary.’

He concluded: ‘This council finds the manner in which the situation was managed following the fire completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers.’

Two people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Three other people were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

This article originally appeared as ‘The secretary of state disagrees’ in the Institute of Historic Building Conservation’s (IHBC’s) Context 178, published in December 2023. It was written by Alexandra Fairclough, conservation officer for Cheshire East, a lecturer and a member of the IHBC legal panel. A former planning inspector, she was called to the bar in 2009, and before that was IHBC law and practice coordinator.