Police Are Now Treating The Fire At The Crooked House Pub As Arson

Police have said they are now treating a fire that gutted The Crooked House pub as arson.

Mystery surrounded the blaze that tore through the iconic 18th century building, dubbed “Britain’s wonkiest pub”, near Dudley on Saturday and the reasons why it was then torn down days later.

Firefighters also said they experienced some difficulties reaching the fire after the property was devoured by flames.

The fire took place just days after the pub was sold to a private buyer.

In a statement on Wednesday evening, Staffordshire Police said: “Our investigation into a fire at the Crooked House on Himley Road last Saturday continues as we try to understand the circumstances, which we are now treating as arson.

“This fire has shocked and upset so many given the, albeit not listed, cultural importance and heritage of the building. This is not lost on us and a robust investigation using all available information and forensic opportunities is being carried out.”

On Saturday, two weeks after the subsidence-hit pub had been sold by pub chain Marston’s to a local firm, it suffered extensive damage as a result of the fire.

Two days later, the building in the village of Himley was destroyed by a mechanical digger. Given that the cause of the fire had yet to be determined, questions have been raised over how the pub ended up being flattened.

Staffordshire Fire Service said on Monday that there were “mounds of mud and soil placed in the centre of the road” as firefighters attempted to get to the blaze.

The pub was originally a farmhouse when it was built in 1765 and subsequently began sinking on one side as a result of extensive coal mining in the Black Country.

Around 1830, it became a pub and was called The Siden House — siden meaning crooked in the local dialect.

In the 1940s, the pub, which had been subsequently renamed the Glynne Arms, was condemned as unsafe and scheduled for demolition. The forebear of Marston’s then purchased the pub and made it safe.

It then became known as The Crooked House and has been a tourist attraction since, with visitors admiring how the building stood the test of time, given that one end of it was a little under four feet lower than the other.

Detective chief superintendent Tom Chisholm of Staffordshire Police said: “We understand the significance of this much-loved building and the upset and anger felt by many so want to reassure you we’re doing all we can to understand more about what happened, and who was responsible.

“There is lots of misinformation circulating within communities and online and this is unhelpful. We’re trying to provide accurate and timely updates, but as I am sure you can appreciate, there is a lot of work and liaison with a number of partners which needs to be completed and this takes time.

“There are also certain things that police and fire do not have the powers to deal with, the decision around partial demolition of the building for example, when the scene was handed back to the owner.

“We are working hard with our fire colleagues to understand the cause of the fire and are in contact with the landowner, we will keep you updated with any further significant developments.”