A beloved centuries-old pub gutted by fire should be rebuilt “brick-by-brick”, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has said, after it was demolished.
The Crooked House, a ‘wonky’ landmark in the village of Himley, near Dudley, was torn down on Monday just two days after it was destroyed in a blaze that is being investigated by police.
The fire broke out around 10pm on Saturday, just a fortnight after the premises was sold by brewer Marston’s to a private buyer.
Mr Street said the well-known 18th century pub “holds real cultural and historical significance” and its loss is “deeply upsetting”.
He sent letters to South Staffordshire Council and the emergency services on Monday, hours before footage emerged on social media of what remained of the building being demolished by a mechanical digger.
Staffordshire Police said on Tuesday: “A cordon was in place temporarily whilst we carried out enquiries at the scene, but, due to the unsafe structure of the building, officers were pulled back and the scene was stood down.
“Since then, the area has been in the care of the landowners and the building has since been demolished.”
We’ve asked @south_staffs to ensure the Crooked House Pub is rebuilt brick by brick, & any attempt to change its use blocked 🚫@alex__claridge & I have also asked to be kept informed of the Fire & Police’s investigation
— Andy Street (@andy4wm) August 8, 2023
We will not let the Crooked House be consigned to history pic.twitter.com/OPAHjqGbyY
Locals shared their dismay over the demolition, with one writing on Facebook: “This is so so so sad and a travesty! Such wonderful history.” Another described it as “appalling and utterly sad”.
Mr Street’s letter to council leader Roger Lees, co-signed by West Midlands night-time economy adviser Alex Claridge, said the pub should be rebuilt and the local authority should consider barring any change of use application for the site.
The two men said: “Whilst we do not yet know the cause of the fire or the outcome of any investigation being conducted by Staffordshire Police or Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, it is clear that we should not allow such a tragic act to be the end of The Crooked House.
“We therefore ask that you consider ensuring the property is rebuilt brick by brick (using as much original material as possible) before any further discussions about the future of the site take place.
“We are aware that the Crooked House has only very recently been sold by Marston’s to a private developer with the intention of the site being used for ‘alternative use’.
So the crooked house has gone 😭 it’s been demolished today… 1st pic from when I visited in 2018 with my dad 2nd & 3rd pic from today 😪 pic.twitter.com/LFAhkPb7iV
— Samantha 👑 (@SpeedyFlowerxx) August 7, 2023
“However, our understanding is that any alternative use would have to be approved by your council’s planning department or committee, and so we would therefore ask you to strongly consider not allowing any alternative use and instead keeping this iconic location as a pub.”
Staffordshire Police said it is reviewing “all of the available evidence” into the cause of the blaze, which was tackled by around 30 firefighters before being extinguished by Sunday morning.
But there have been multiple reports that mounds of dirt were blocking access roads to the pub after the fire started - something Mr Street and Mr Claridge confirmed in a separate letter to the police and fire services.
The pair said they “make it clear we are not inferring” The Crooked House was deliberately set alight, but that there are “major questions” over the timing of the blaze.
Their second letter was addressed to Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Chris Noble and and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Chief Fire Officer Rob Barber.
It said: “Whilst we will avoid any speculation as to what has occurred, clearly there are major questions to be answered given how swiftly this fire happened following the sale of the pub to an unknown private developer.
“We are also intrigued by the fact that your officers faced blocked access when trying to get to the scene.”
In a tweet on Tuesday morning, Mr Street added: “We believe that great pubs have immense cultural and historical value here in the West Midlands – and we should be taking steps to protect and preserve their heritage.
“The reaction of so many of you to the tragic fire at The Crooked House tells us we’re not alone. We’re on it.”
The building has stood on the site since the 1760s, with one side sinking several feet lower than the other due to mining subsistence.
It is said to have originally been a farmhouse but became a pub in around 1830, and according to Mr Turner was known as The Siden House, with “siden” meaning “crooked” in the local Black Country dialect.
Chief Inspector Chris Cotton, from Staffordshire Police, said on an update on Tuesday: “We understand the strength of feeling in the community is high at this moment and the sadness felt amongst those who have a strong emotional attachment to this place.
“We recognise the cultural heritage and significance of the building within communities in the area and we understand that people are concerned about what happened over the last few days.
“I’d like to reiterate that speculation into the cause of the fire is not helpful at this time. Officers have been working hard to examine all of the evidence available and continue to speak to members of the public who have been forthcoming with information which can help our investigation.
“We are progressing a number of lines of enquiry alongside South Staffordshire Council and continue to ask anyone with any information to get in touch with us as soon as possible.
“We understand that the community have a vested interest in this incident. We are doing everything we can to progress our lines of enquiry and review the evidence available to progress the investigation.”
