Suspected arson and a ‘pre-planned excavation’ - What we know about the demise of ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’
Questions are being asked about how the much-loved Crooked House pub, which had stood for more than 250 years, came to be demolished, Jane Dalton writes
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As if it were an old dear friend who had passed away, the remnants of the Crooked House attracted bunches of flowers and sympathy messages from well-wishers devastated by the building’s demise.
More than 100 people gathered on Tuesday at the rubble of Britain’s “wonkiest pub” to mourn its destruction.
Built as a farmhouse in 1765, the Crooked House near Dudley, West Midlands, had a quirk that was probably unique and commanded much affection – its leaning walls created optical illusions such as pennies and marbles appearing to move uphill along the bar.
So when brewer Marston’s closed the pub this year and sold it to a Warwickshire property company for “an alternative use”, it was no wonder local residents campaigned for its preservation.
Historic England received a request for the pub near Himley to be given listed status protection, and thousands of locals signed a petition to retain the building as a pub, which had been listed for sale for £675,000.
But before a decision could be made, late on Saturday 5 August – less than two weeks after the sale – the building became a national cause célèbre when it was gutted by fire and reduced to a shell despite the efforts of up to 30 firefighters.
Staffordshire Police and fire chiefs launched an investigation into the blaze – and the fact that mounds of earth had blocked emergency crews’ access to the pub.
Fans of the house were devastated – but worse was to come.
Two days later, a mechanical digger moved in to reduce the remaining structure to rubble.
The fire and the building’s rapid destruction ignited widespread speculation. And now, the new owners are facing a series of questions, many from detectives who say they are treating the fire as arson, and who have used a specialist sniffer dog to investigate the grounds.
More questions will come from South Staffordshire Council, which is investigating whether the demolition was illegal.
The council had not agreed to the whole structure being razed.
Shortly before the digger arrived, officers visited the site and, according to council leader Roger Lees, agreed on a set of works with the landowner’s representative to ensure the safety of the building and the site.
“The agreed course of action included the removal of three elements of the first-floor front elevation only. 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,” Mr Lees added.
He said the demolition of a building should be carried out in accordance with Schedule 2 Part 11 Class B of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015.
Mr Lees said: “The steps required by the legislation were not carried out in this case. We have referred these matters to our legal team with a view to taking enforcement action.”
Over recent months, he added, the council had been speaking to “relevant national bodies” about how to preserve the “important heritage asset”.
Police themselves are facing questions, too. Dudley North MP Marco Longhi has demanded to know why police did not intervene in the demolition given that officers had been investigating the blaze two days earlier, suggesting the police force had failed to protect the burnt-out shell, which might have needed a forensic examination.
But Staffordshire Police acknowledged the depth of anger over what happened, saying: “This fire has shocked and upset so many given the – albeit not listed – cultural importance and heritage of the building. This is not lost on us and a robust investigation using all available information and forensic opportunities is being carried out.”
Speculation has been further fuelled by the boss of the company that hired out the excavator reportedly saying they delivered the digger a week-a-half ago – before the fire.
Lyndon Thomas told Construction News he could not be held responsible for what paying customers did with the machinery and that had he known, he would have acted differently.
The land where the pub sat is in a remote area, and a wooded public right of way, popular with walkers and families, runs across it.
Until about 40 years ago, there was a bluebell wood behind the site, but the land was dug up for clay, together with a quarry to one side.
Now, it’s thought the other side is being dug by Himley Environmental, described as a landfill site operator specialising in hazardous waste disposal, which runs the quarry and landfill site next door.
The director of ATE Farms, which bought the pub from Marston’s, is businesswoman Carly Taylor, 34. Her husband, Adam, 44, is a shareholder and former director of Himley Environmental, and the two companies are registered to the same address in Warwickshire.
Himley Environmental has not been answering its telephone this week, and it’s understood that Mr Taylor declined to comment when approached by journalists at his home in Leicestershire.
Earlier this year, ATE Farms applied for permission to transform an old quarry site in Leicestershire into a holiday camp.
Councillor Phil Atkins, whose Dudley ward backs onto the site, said what had happened to the “truly unique” building had been a disaster and he would like to see the pub return in some form, possibly as part of a museum or visitor attraction.
And West Midlands mayor Andy Street called for the inn to be rebuilt “brick by brick” – but not everyone agrees.
Yvonne Nock, chairwoman of Himley parish council, told The Independent: “My sister tried to paint it but said she couldn’t because it wasn’t straight. I can’t see it could possibly be rebuilt. It was a one-off and can’t be replaced.”
She said it would be very sad if the pub site were dug up alongside the quarry.
The Independent has been unable to contact Ms Taylor, but asked Staffordshire Police to respond to Mr Longhi’s criticism. The force had not responded by the time of publication.