Film marking third anniversary of Crooked House fire to premier in Dudley

A short film chronicling the demise of ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’, and the campaign to get it rebuilt, will be premiered in the Black Country this weekend - on the eve of the third anniversary of it being engulfed in flames.

The Crooked House in Himley, near Dudley, was gutted in a suspected arson attack on August 5, 2023, and was unlawfully demolished two days later, sparking global outrage.

But despite police making a number of arrests, and South Staffordshire Council ordering the pub to be reconstructed, there is little sign of anybody being charged, or of the 261-year-old pub being rebuilt.

Film-maker Luke Reader has made a short documentary about the pub, which will be screened at The Mill pub in Windmill Street, Upper Gornal, on Saturday (August 2) afternoon.

The showing, attended by members of the campaign group seeking to get the pub restored, will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Paul Turner, who has been leading the campaign, says it has attracted support from around the world.

“It will be the first time we have seen the film ourselves, although we were interviewed for it,” he said. “It will be a chance to see the film, and then have a chat about what is going on.”

The event will take place from 1-3pm.

The Crooked House, was originally built in 1765 as a farmhouse, before becoming a pub called the Glynne Arms circa 1830, serving the miners working the estates of Sir Stephen Glynne and the Earl of Dudley. It was the mine-workings beneath the pub that caused it to tilt by 15 degrees.

In 1952 the building was condemned as structurally unsafe, but Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries - now Marston’s - bought it for £3,250 and spent a further £10,000 strengthening the buttresses that held it in place.

Marston’s sold the pub to A T E Farms, which operated a landfill site next to the pub, on July 27, 2023, and it was reported that it would no longer be used as a pub. On August 5 it was gutted by fire, and on August 7 workers acting on behalf of A T E Farms demolished the building.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the fire, but have all been released under investigation.

South Staffordshire Council took enforcement proceedings ordering the building to be rebuilt, but A T E Farms lodged an appeal which was due to have been heard in March last year.

However, it was postponed indefinitely after the High Court ruled that it should not be held until the criminal proceedings had been finalised.