Campaigner says wonky pub must be rebuilt on site

A campaign group fighting to bring back a pub once known as "Britain's wonkiest inn" have opposed proposals to rebuild it in a new location.

The Crooked House in Himley, near Dudley, was reduced to rubble after being knocked down following a fire in August 2023.

The site's owner, ATE Farms Limited, has been ordered to rebuild it, but has appealed, suggesting it should instead be restored on land it owns nearby.

But Paul Turner, from the Save The Crooked House group, said the original site was key, explaining: "It was where it was, that's where it was when it sank, that's where the history is."

He said people had been suggesting a new location for the pub ever since the fire.

One popular suggestion was to rebuild it at the nearby Black Country Living Museum, but Mr Turner said he opposed such a move because people would have to pay to see it there, and would not be open during evenings.

Campaigners were successful in being able to save thousands of the original bricks, to allow it to be rebuilt one day.

Mr Turner said the best outcome would be for the pub to return to its original site and for work to be carried out to improve the surrounding area.

"The vast majority of the people who support us on the Facebook group have the same feeling," he said.

The Crooked House got its name because mining in the area, during the early 19th Century, caused one side of the building to gradually sink.

It became a Black Country icon that attracted attention from all over the world. A feature of its distinct appearance was that coins appeared to roll "uphill" on the premises.

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

Staffordshire Police said five men and one woman were arrested and bailed in connection with the fire.

ATE Farms Limited said in its appeal documents the original location was "not viable" for a pub and rebuilding on land it owned in the nearby area would increase its "chance of success as a community asset".

It argued the original location suffered from a lack of footfall and that while there might be "a huge amount of interest in the first few months" if it was rebuilt there, it would not generate "continued and sustained interest to make the building work as pub going forward".

It has also said it is "not in any way responsible" for the blaze.

The hearing of the appeal against South Staffordshire Council's enforcement notice is due to take place in July.

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