Support for Crooked House to be rebuilt remains one-year on

A family fun day was organised by the Save the Crooked House (Let’s Get it Rebuilt) Facebook group and Wombourne-based Dangerous Sheep Events to bring people together to reminisce about the landmark pub – one year after it was reduced to rubble after a severe fire.

Crowds at the event at Himley Hall remembering the Crooked House (Image: Winter Peach Photography)

A huge fire ripped through the iconic pub at Himley on August 5 2023 and the remaining shell of the historic building was bulldozed to the ground without permission two days later.

The Crooked House reduced to rubble (Image: Rich Riley)

A police investigation continues into the alleged arson at the pub and a public inquiry is expected to take place after South Staffordshire Council issued an enforcement notice on the owners ordering a rebuild of the heritage building.

Campaigners have also done their best to keep the story of the Crooked House alive.

The Crooked House pub at Himley as it was (Image: SWNS)

The grief sparked by the loss of the much-loved pub, which got its famous appearance due to subsidence cause by mining, however, has not gone away.

To commemorate the pub and its place in people’s hearts – a celebratory anniversary event was held on Sunday August 4, featuring live music, face-painting and food and drink.

Performers at the event at Himley Hall remembering the Crooked House - Elton John tribute act Elton Fantastic, left, The Fleetwood Mack Experience, top right, and The Empty Can, bottom right. (Image: Winter Peach Photography)

People from far and wide attended including former Dudley MP Marco Longhi who was among the key figures spearheading calls for the pub to be rebuilt.

He thanked the organisers of the event and those who attended and said: “This event marked one year since the tragic destruction of our beloved Crooked House.

Marco Longhi - Dudley's former MP - who has been a key supporter of the campaign to get the Crooked House rebuilt (Image: Marco Longhi)

“I felt and witnessed the emotion but also the determination everyone held to see our beloved pub being rebuilt. Why? Because it was so much more than a pub: memories and dreams in one place symbolising our community.

“I will always do everything I can to see it rise from the ashes.”

Mike Wood, MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, with former Dudley MP Marco Longhi at the event at Himley Hall remembering the Crooked House (Image: Marco Longhi)

Mike Wood, MP for the newly-created Kingswinford and South Staffordshire constituency in which the pub site sits, attended the event and said: “It was incredible to see so many people come together, not only to remember everything that was lost when the Crooked House went up in flames last year but to remind the world about why it is so important that it is rebuilt brick-by-brick on its original site so that future generations can enjoy this quirky symbol of our proud industrial heritage.”

He added: “Anybody who thought that they could sit back and wait until the attention had shifted away from the Crooked House only needs to look at Sunday's event to know that it's not going to happen. The community will be there fighting until the Crooked House is rebuilt.”

South Staffordshire Council has said it remains committed to defending an appeal lodged by the pub’s owners after an enforcement notice demanding a rebuild was served in February. A date for a public inquiry into the matter is awaited.

Separately, a police investigation into the alleged arson at the pub continues.

Meanwhile, the Campaign for Real Ale has promised to do all it can to ensure there's a "happy ending" to the story of the Crooked House.