This is the first of two blog posts that set out a timeline of the destruction by fire and subsequent demolition of the Crooked House in Himley in early August 2023, through links to local and national press reports. This blog covers the period up to December 2023. Later reports can be found in the second blog post here.
In the days after the fire, there were many, very similar, press reports and thus there has been a need to be selective. In what follows, I thus use three main sources.
- BBC local and national news websites, which was, and continues to be, the most comprehensive source.
- The Express and Star website, which gives a local perspective. Note that many of the articles that are linked require free registration to be read.
- The Guardian website ā although many national newspapers reported the story in early August, the Guardianās was probably the most comprehensive and, through its columnists, the most reflective.
I also include articles from other sources where they complement the above, including a few from overseas to demonstrate the reach of the story. I will update this list at intervals over the coming months.
In addition to the news links, there are two Facebook pages that contain news and (often robust) comments covering a range of opinion.
SAVE THE CROOKED HOUSE (LET’S GET IT RE-BUILT)
March to July 2023
10/3/23 BBC The Crooked House: Britain’s ‘wonkiest pub’ to be sold
28/3/23 BBC The Crooked House: Britain’s ‘wonkiest pub’ for sale for Ā£675,000
28/7/23 Express and Star ‘A great shame’ as Crooked House pub set to be redeveloped for ‘other use’
August 2023
6/8/23 BBC The Crooked House: Fire rips through famed ‘wonky’ pub
6/8/23 Express and Star Fire engulfs The Crooked House pub – flames and smoke seen pouring out of iconic building
6/8/23 Guardian Fire engulfs historic pub famed for being wonkiest in Britain
7/8/23 BBC ‘Questions need answering’ over Crooked House fire
7/8/23 Guardian Police āreviewing all evidenceā on cause of Crooked House pub fire
8/8/23 BBC Demolition of Crooked House pub unacceptable – council
8/8/23 Express and Star Call to help protect pubs following Crooked House blaze
8/8/23 Guardian āItās gobsmackingā: locals demand answers to demolition of Crooked House pub
8/8/23 Guardian West Midlands mayor calls for Crooked House pub to be rebuilt ābrick by brickā
9/8/23 BBC The Crooked House pub fire and demolition controversy… in 52 seconds
9/8/23 BBC Crooked House: Fire at ‘wonkiest’ pub treated as arson
9/8/23 BBC Former Crooked House landlords appalled at fire and demolition
9/8/23 Express and Star Detectives treating fire at Crooked House pub as arson
9/8/23 Express and Star Calls to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in investigation into ‘wrongful’ demolition of The Crooked House
9/8/23 Express and Star MP questions whether police knew about ‘wrongful’ demolition of Crooked House pub
9/8/23 Guardian The strange tale of The Crooked House tells a much bigger story
9/8/23 Guardian Staffordshire police treating fire at Crooked House pub as arson
9/8/23 Sidney Morning Herald British heritage pub destruction: Crooked House stood for 260 years. Now itās a pile of rubble
9/8/23 Construction News Crooked House demolition plant hire owner: āIāve done nothing wrongā
10/8/23 BBC Crooked House: Meeting over future of ‘wonkiest’ pub site
10/8/23 Express and Star Poet Pam pens poem about the tragic demise of The Crooked House
10/8/23 Express and Star Crooked House: How iconic pub helped people meet life partners, marry and enjoy life
10/8/23 Express and Star Police confirm contact with Crooked House owners as arson probe at historic pub welcomed
10/8/23 Express and Star Couple recall how Crooked House made wedding ‘best day’ – after initial venue burned down
10/8/23 Guardian Change planning laws to protect historic pub buildings, campaigners say
10/8/23 Daily Express Owners of āBritainās wonkiest pubā had history of gutting traditional pubs suggest claims
10/8/23 New York Times What Happened to Britainās āCrooked Houseā Pub?
11/8/23 BBC The Crooked House scandal ‘must be catalyst for change’
11/8/23 Express and Star Crooked House: Advertising boss offers ‘handsome’ reward to whistleblowers
11/8/23 Express and Star ‘A crime against the Black Country’: Crowds gather in anger at site of The Crooked House
11/8/23 Express and Star The Crooked House listed application was being considered – body explains why new requests can’t be
11/8/23 Guardian Crooked House rebuild would be āvery complicated and costly endeavourā
11/8/23 Guardian Other plans by Crooked House owners have caused anger in Midlands
12/8/23 Guardian āPeople are sick of having our heritage knocked downā: how the Crooked House saga became a state of the nation story
13/8/23 BBC The Crooked House: Mystery and anger surround wonky pub destruction
13/8/23 CNN The Crooked House was Britain’s wonkiest pub. Then it burned down
14/8/23 BBC Giddy the fire dog helping probe Crooked House arson attack
14/8/23 Express and Star Crooked House: What we know about demolished building’s new owners
14/8/23 Guardian Yes, rebuild the Crooked House brick by brick ā and buttress local planning, too
14/8/23 Constriction News Crooked House demolition ādoes disservice to entire industryā
15/8/23 BBC Miniature Crooked House wins plaudits from across the globe
15/8 /23Express and Star Remains of Crooked House pub fenced off as arson inquiry continues
15/8/23 Express and Star The Crooked House: What we know about investigation into fire and demolition of famous pub
15/8/23 Express and Star Wolverhampton man makes model replica of Crooked House for friend ‘gutted’ by blaze
15/8/23 Guardian The mystery of the Crooked House fire
16/8/23 Express and Star Crooked House footpaths fenced off after police called to ‘activity’ at site
16/8/23 Express and Star Rebuilding The Crooked House could take three years and cost millions, warns expert
16/8/23 Express and Star MP urges public wanting answers about Crooked House pub to ābe patientā
16/8/23 Guardian Crooked House owner linked to landfill that also went up in flames
17/8/23 Express and Star Black Country real ale campaigners to step up pub protection after loss of The Crooked House
17/8/23 Express and Star I want Crooked House to ‘rise from the ashes’ MP tells packed meeting
17/8/23 Guardian If only weād had the vision to save the Crooked House
17/8/23 Washington Post Mystery surrounds burning of Crooked House, Britainās āwonkiestā pub
18/8/23 Daily Express Owners of The Crooked House pub jet off to Corfu as questions remain over demolition
19/8/23 Express and Star Black Country artist completes striking painting of the night The Crooked House burned down
19/8/23 Irish Mirror Irish drug smuggler at centre of scandal over demolition of Britain’s ‘wonkiest pub’ – Irish Mirror Online Irish Mirror
21/8/23 BBC Crooked House: Protesters block road to destroyed landmark pub
21/8/23 BBC Crooked House: Glass engraver honours destroyed pub
21/8/23 Express and Star Stand-off involving police and MP at site of The Crooked House after access blocked
22/8/23 Guardian Paranormal group keeps nightās watch on Crooked House pub site
23/8/23 Construction News Contractor claims to be salvaging Crooked House materials for reuse
24/8/23 BBC The campaigners working 24/7 to save the Crooked House
24/8/23 BBC Crooked House: Arson arrests in pub fire probe
24/8/23 Express and Star Two arrested over Crooked House fire as West Midlands mayor again calls for pub to be rebuilt | Express & Star (expressandstar.com)
24/8/23 Guardian Two men arrested over fire at Crooked House pub in Himley
25/8/23 New York Times Two Arrested After Crooked House Pub Fire
25/8/23 Stuff (New Zealand) Two men arrested over suspected torching of ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’
25/8/23 News.com (Australia) Two men arrested after fire at Crooked House pub
28/8/23 Express and Star Crooked House campaigners renew pleas to rebuild ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ during live TV appearance on This Morning
30/8/23 Express and Star CAMRA pushes for Asset of Community Value vote to protect remains of ‘vitally important’ Crooked House
31/8/23 Guardian āWeāve become one big familyā: Camp Wonky continues watch of Crooked House site
September 2023
1/9/23 Express and Star Contractors to move off Crooked House site as ‘Ceremony of the Locks’ due to be held
2/9/23 Express and Star Crooked House campaigners explain round-the-clock vigil at site of demolished icon
2/9/23 Express and Star Thousands of bricks from The Crooked House are securely locked away in symbolic padlocking ceremony
4/9/23 BBC Firm linked to Crooked House owner was taken to court
4/9/23 Independent Crooked House pub bricks locked away after being āsold for Ā£50 on Facebookā
4/9/23 Dudley News Man camps outside Crooked House pub to protect bricks
5/9/23 Express and Star Roofer who led work on Crooked House facelift describes heartbreak at seeing it demolished
6/9/23 BBC Derbyshire model maker creates miniature Crooked House pub
7/9/23 BBC Third arrest in Crooked House fire investigation
7/9/23 Express and Star Third man arrested over suspected arson at Crooked House pub
7/9/23 Express and Star MP Marco Longhi calls for parliamentary debate on fate of pubs like Crooked House
8/9/23 Express and Star Third man arrested over suspected arson at Crooked House pub
9/9/23 BBC Can fire-hit Crooked House rise from the ashes?
10/9/23 Express and Star Unofficial Crooked House camp left empty amid reports of clash at ruins of famous pub
11/9/23 BBC Probe as violence breaks out at Crooked House site
11/9/23 Express and Star Woman hit by car and two assaulted at Crooked House site as police appeal for witnesses
14/9/23 BBC Man held after violence at Crooked House site
14/9/23 Express and Star https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/staffordshire/2023/09/14/west-bromwich-man-arrested-following-disorder-at-site-of-crooked-house-pub/
16/9/23 Express and Star MP re-iterates support for Crooked House and support groups
21/9/23 Express and Star Footpath near Crooked House site to be closed off for six months due to ‘concerns over the instability of the ground conditions’
22/9/23 BBC Camra launch scheme to protect historic pubs
22/9/23 Birmingham Mail Crooked House saga prompts new way to save historic pubs in West Midlands
28/9/2023 BBC New arrests in Crooked House pub inquiry
28/9/2023 Guardian Crooked House pub: police investigating fire arrest man and woman
28/09/2023 Express and Star Man and woman arrested in connection with suspected Crooked House arson
28/9/2023 Express and Star How to help Crooked House campaigners design new website and logo
October 2023
4/10/2023 BBC New arrest in Crooked House pub fire investigation
4/10/2023 Express and Star Sixth person arrested in connection with fire at Crooked House pub
5/10/2023 Express and Star Crooked House investigation praised as Staffordshire Police improves under ‘special measures’
5/10/2023 Express and Star Real ale campaigners meet MP over pub protection
27/10/2023 Express and Star Penny Mordaunt visits Crooked House site as Dudley North MP outlines priorities for heritage pubs
28/10/2023 BBC Model maker recreates Crooked House pub in miniature
November 2023
11/11/2023 BBC The leaning Christmas card honouring Crooked House pub
13/11/2023 BBC Crooked House Christmas cards and calendars sell out
18/11/2023 BBC MP calls for more to be done ‘to stop another Crooked House’
21/11/2023 Express and Star Crooked House glasses on sale at beer festival
22/11/2023 Mirror Crooked House owners ordered to stop demolition at another site ‘set to net them Ā£10m’
29/11/2023 Guardian Crooked House campaigners search for Black Country pubās missing clock
30/11/2023 Express and Star New video shows current state of Crooked House site as sections collapse
30/11/2023 Express and Star https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/dudley/2023/11/30/crooked-house-is-rebuilt–in-childrens-book/
December 2023
24/12/2023 Stoke on Trent Live Meet the man spending Christmas Day defending the charred ruins of UK’s wonkiest pub
26/12/2023 Guardian Crooked House scandal highlights government inaction over pubs, says Camra
Engineering, history and ecclesiology 
An important omission is the piece by Rosie Dowling on ITV Central News. The afternoon of the demolition she stated that the building is to be demolished. She was on the site and would have a first hand account from the council this was to happen.
The building was then demolished and captured on film by a member of the public
On the 6 OāClock news on ITV Central the main news item was the leader of the council ābacktrackingā on information supplied by Rosie Dowling.ā
I noted to myself that the Council needs to account for themselves which has not happened.
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Clearly I missed this, but as you say it is potentially an important part of the timeline. A quick web search hasn’t given me any fresh info. Can you provide a URL?
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Hi Chris,
This is welcome.āI will look for a link as someone did record it off the TV using I assume a smart phone and posted it on the facebook group.āI did for a while try to get the name of the ITV Central reporter so that at least the observation can be checked with her and the TV company.ā
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