Campaigners renew hunt for missing Crooked House clock two and a half years on

So what happened to the grandfather clock?

The much-loved timepiece, a fixture inside Britain’s “wonkiest pub” for decades, has never been accounted for. And despite the passing of time, those leading the fight to see the pub rebuilt say they have not given up hope of finding it.

Clock missing without trace

The 18th century pub, famous for its sloping floors and tilted walls caused by historic mining subsidence, was gutted by fire in August 2023. Within days, the structure was demolished without planning consent, prompting national headlines and public anger.

But when campaigners and officials examined the debris, they say there was no sign of the antique grandfather clock that had stood proudly inside for generations.

“No parts of the clock were ever found in the ashes,” said Councillor Ian Sandall, of campaign group Toast the Crooked House. “It raises obvious questions. Was it destroyed completely, or was it removed before the fire?”

Read more: What happens next for the Crooked House after company issued with striking-off order

Archive photographs from Hitchmough's Black Country pubs show the tall, dark wooden clock positioned against one of the pub’s famously slanted interior walls, its face slightly askew in keeping with the building’s dramatic lean. Visitors frequently posed for photos beside it, the tilted pendulum case becoming as much a talking point as the uneven bar top.

Some local historians believe the clock dated back to the 19th century, though firm documentation of its exact age has yet to surface. What is certain is that it featured in promotional material and press coverage stretching back decades, cementing its place in the pub’s story.