Sad day considering the age of the building and its history. Somats gone on there for sure.

This is nothing short of criminal vandalism, I pray that the insurance company does NOT pay out and those responsible for this are brought to book!

We all know what has happened here. This is occurring all around the country. If the police can't figure this one out I suggest that they be disbanded

I live in Birmingham and there’s so many pubs that have suspiciously caught fire over the years going back to the 90s. Those that aren’t burning down are slowly being closed and rebuilt as something else too

This happens all the time. It common practice the land gets sold for development then they catch fire mysteriously.

Disgusting. They demolished it before the fire could even be investigated.

The same thing appened to the Cock Inn in Rubery, 200yr old pub got burnt down. I drove past it on Friday and there is a massive building taking up the whole of the site. :(

Crazy to see it’s now come to light that the new owners are the company next door and there has been access disputes between Marstons brewery and them in the past. Even Andy Street Mayor of West Midlands is kicking off about it so should get some political weight behind finding the truth out.

From someone living 100 miles away, this is an absolute tragedy and this case should be a turning point. The whole story needs to be investigated and reported. .. but one must ask why was not such a brilliant building listed?

Absolutely heartbreaking, I cried seeing it demolished this beautiful rare gem of ours is gone forever, only thing we got is our precious memories of the pub, lost for the next generations, our heritage is going but we need to keep it! Xxxxxx

Glad to see another insurance job gone unnoticed without prosecution well done West Midlands Police

I am absolutely gutted to hear this news! My husband took me here on our 2nd date and was a family favourite from then on 😢

Sad to see we are loosing quiet alot of black country history

Absolutely outrageous.

Seeing the remains of the crooked house pub must be really hurt and heartbreaking that the history is gone and seeing the road block to the pub is a big mystery but could it be arson who knows. RIP Crooked house pub 1765-2023.

What a terrible loss for The Black Country and its history. As others have said, shame it could not have been saved, or bricks moved and rebuilt at The Black Country Museum or Avoncroft Museum of Buildings. Great and timely video.

Such a shame to lose such an historical building. Had the pleasure of drinking in there a few times. Deffo an insurance job to make way for development. Think the guide price was £675,000 but it was never going to be used as a pub again, means only one thing…. Land.

Burned down by property developers who are now being ordered to rebuild it. They should jail 'em too

Well done lad. Great little video of a local icon. I live in Cheslyn Hay. never been to the pub even though I spent a lot of time over that area. I think its deliberate and I hope the scroats who planned it get some karma very soon. Shoul be a 100 year preservation order on all that land to stop the buggers building on it in their own lifetimes!

This is pretty sad, and Im not even from the UK. So clearly an insurance job, 7 days after new private owner brought it, It was fully on fire in the middle of the night, Roads leading up to the pub had massive piles of dirt which delayed fire fighters from getting closer and also had to walk farther to hook up hoses. It has survived other fires on the past, Look into it, And even a nearrby bomb from the wars (APPARENTLY) Yet somehow a random fire gutted the ENTIRE BUILDING even at the back. Then 2 days later the whole thing was leveled down by an excavator. Oh and by the way the same couple who brought this pub also gutted another old pub in Warwickshire village of Willey.

had some fantastic times at the crooked house in my younger days, i was fortunate enough to investigate there 2008.

Same happened to the Collonade restaurant in Southend, it was arson but nobody was investigated

Very sad mate Very sad.

How can something so old that as survived wars just be snuffed out over night I never went there but It was on my bucket List I hope the people who did this are brought to account and judging by what I've seen the local community will not let this rest until they are

It’s such a shame about the pub some people do not care I hope something is done about it even though they’ve just flattened it aswell now I doubt it will all be disposed of 256 year old and flattened in just a few days 😢

I can Remember this from 1986 when I worked in Birmingham, It was just 3 months back, I said to my Daughters , A place you must go to see . Then I see this on the news . Never forgot the visit . What a loss. Would be interest in more footage. Thank you for putting this on KZfaq.

developers spied in the area and conveniently burnt down because it was allowed to ...

RIP crooked house

Sadly this happens a lot,I bet any money houses will go up next year.good vid👍🏼

Adam and Carly Taylor.. Did this I was there today 11/8/2023 Fantastic support

visited a couple of times .last time 1998 . very special place . used to deliver petrol before retiring ,love the black country and the people .the industrial revolution was a magical time in history .

New owners should be punished and never allowed to forget this.

Living in Australian seeing a place i used to go and now find out its gone brought tears to my eyes,,,,i wanted to bring my family and see all these old parts i once visited & now almost all gone

Very sad, ❤️

Great video that you have made and great news today about a possible rebuild. The only thing I think will happen is the owners will rather pay a fine than rebuild the pub, but it's down to the council not to back down on it. I live in the south but have visited this pub and just hope for everyone especially the midlands that it is fully restored.

Needs the Police to prosecute (but they won’t bother, why do they need to when there are plenty of motorists to catch instead), the Council to enforce the demolition offences, any Planning to be refused for redevelopment and the scum who did this to be forced to rebuilt it brick by brick at whatever cost.needs a petition to be started to whichever Council area this falls within. When our heritage is gone, it is not coming back.

This was not only an old building but it was unique…it’s shocking there wasn’t a preservation order on it. Rebuilding doesn’t bring the Crooked House back sadly but merely a copy. I hope those responsible are punished because this was blatantly deliberate

I hope ATE Farms Limited owners adam and carley taylor get whats coming to them

Alot of people think its been done on purpose for development...must admit I'm one of them...i went there a few times over years...sad to see it destroyed plus dudley Hippodrome facing its final days.

Apparently they demolished it today

The crooked house wasn't a listed building.

HI THERE i love looking at your vides, i was looking forward to viset the old pub,, i live in WALES, BUT MY gr grandfarther lived inGORNA ,BACK in the 1850tes, before moving to mid wales, He was a nail maker, evenafter moving to wales iam still hoping to visit the GORNAL aeria sometime,pity the old pub has gone, keep up thegood work, all the best from ken parkes

survives for 250 years and then a property developer buys this white elephant and shortly afterwards, woops allegedly

SO SAD

what an outrageous incident, IF proved to have been arson. I visited this pub several times in the 1960s...a quirky piece of local history.

If it been in London and was a national treasure like parliament or big Ben. You would only need one brick and they'd build the rest round it.😢

Im speeches and heartbroken

there's evidence online of a man entering the property just before the fire with white hair, grandad cut and neon blue padded coat. blasting music out loud. No boarded windows and doors just before fire or no sight of security or secure site fenced off so is definitely suspicious. Plus it was a site for mines so new properties aren't supposed to built on it in case they hit one underground in works and cause explosion. They only put security on site after they burnt it down. I'm from the black country area and its a national disgrace. Its one of the oldest buildings we have left in the area as our two local councils seem to want to do nothing but destroy and remove our heritage and history (there is almost nothing left, look at the hippodrome going through same fate right now. Councils have ignored all the trusts, societies and charities as well as the people. Refusing to talk). Quite a few pubs in the midlands and UK that were eyes for demolition for flats almost all seem to be set on fire all of a sudden then its a chance/excuse to demolish it. A lot of burnt buildings can be saved if its still up (like it was a few days after, no sign of unsteadiness) just needs support like scaffolding to secure it so its safe then a bricklayer and other builders go in with the brickwork and other things needed to secure it. Then rebuild the missing areas and roof. Were a family who work in construction and heritage and know this is fact. Its an excuse we all wonder is tied to money. We all can see its most likely Intentional arson, and demolition which the councillors said was not allowed due to the type of building it was.

National Heritage should step in. Have it rebuilt and fully restored to its former glory. Give it a Listed Status and let tourism in the area be a focal point to this iconic building. Start the petition...

I’m hopeful this isn’t the end of the crooked house. The mayor is fuming and wants it rebuilt brick for brick 🤞

Great to see this ❤

They are being investigated and be held accountable.

It looks like the foreign owner did it. The owner is Islamic and in London as well as elsewhere they are buying historic pubs and burning them claiming 'arson'. One pub took two attempts. The night before the road was blocked with rubble. The next day it went up in flames. As soon people starting talking of restoration the diggers were there knocking it down on a Sunday morning (strange coincidence and you can't hire such equipment in that time-frame); looks very premeditated. Of course as always people will look the other way and say nothing to see here.

They did it to the old Euston train station decades ago, moved in at midnight before the preservation order was in force, vindictiveness, chucked most of it in the Thames, we managed to save a little, the eradication of our culture has been a 'thing' for a very long time..😮

Wish i lived back then all greed selfishness now unsafer very upsetting to see 😢

Its is very sad you would have loved in side it was so old school last time i went up in 2022 it was not open and too Modern and the farm was gone stream was fall of rubbish frytipping throw out the County rout up, this is a shame but they have been destroying buildings for years walsall has had the same but left to rot mills by wolverhampton train station was rejected by black Country a lot of history around wolves has been left to decay and walsall i never fault a function pub that built customers in and was structure sound just made you feel dizzy would have been demolished

I loved the crooked house so much of a icon pub

They should ban any future planning permission, and investigate this.

Really Sad day , I’d only just seen a KZfaq video on this building and then literally a few weeks later it goes up in flames!

This is sadness personified.

I cannot believe it wasn’t already a listed building. It’s iconic 🤷‍♂. This is a disgrace. I was planning on visiting it this October while on holiday down there. The whole thing stinks, arson and a deliberate act to flatten it and destroy evidence. Need locking up.

If the local police are incompetent then the insurance company must investigate, they will not care about not getting a payout as the land and building is worth more, so they should be criminally investigated too.

I remember going there back in the day a name of a drink called leg over the girl behind the bar quite funny when asking for a leg over please 🤭

❤

Apparently everything of any value was stripped out just days before the fire. Convenient. And the digger was hired a week and a half beforehand.

Was the building listed, and if not, why did the council not list it. They really need to take more interest in the history within the West Midlands, how can it ever be the same! This is painful and I am devastated. Brought by the wrong people who had no interest in its value to the community. Devastated I tell you. 😭

At least they have now ordered the owners to now rebuild it exactly how was before the fire

It’s the principle at stake here if this goes viral there gonna be red faced aren’t you ATE Farms😂😂😂😂😂😂who own the surrounding landfill😂😂😂😂😂

Because the demonilition people were contacted days after this pub went up in flames then being illeagally bulldozed straight after the fire seems more then suspicious to me all in 9 days of this couple buying it

Remnant of mudflooding ? funny I live in a house of the same date of 1765 which was on the trefusis estate of which there are no photos or records of but there was a picture of our house with just fields all around it no trace of any manor estate the estate was supposedly demolished in 1850 the first recorded photograph was in 1827 the photo of our house was a decent picture( later than this date) so it can't be before 1850 because the estate and its stables of which our house was part of would still be visible ?

No doubt had it stood much longer it would have been turned into a mini mosque. Anyone objecting would have been arrested and charged with a HATE crime.

Corruption and greed are ruining this country. They should build a pocket park on the site with information about the pub and relics of whats left and give no money to the scumbags who did this. Bring back the gibbett and put those responsible in them on the site for everyone to come and laugh at em.

Be a pain in the ass and never let it be forgoten

Council should not allow owners to build on land and make sure they are done in a court of law ..absolutely gutted

Just wait till the developers build something on that site then burn it down see how he likes it .

Oh no. How sad.

Hopefully the oak farm will be rebuilt back to the original condition and used as a public house, Pub.

😂 It was a sinking pub. Seems to be an insurance job and obviously will be investigated. But the idea that the locals wanted the building put back together again is laughably british, imagine if the contractors were to take up the job and feel that moral support of the community, 6 years to restore the pub and then finally the reveal...the building is level 😅 oh the outrage would see them petition for the next day demolition.

A very convenient fire...too convenient.

It's already been leveled.

I see in the news two men have been arrested for suspected arson. Hopefully these sill be the first if many - and that they will get what they deserve. Fortunately the public anger has got the mayor and the MP wound up, hopefully the high profile in the media will make sure the police push this to a successful prosecution, for once.

When I ferst heard about the crooked house burning down I thought it the PALIMANT that had burned down silly me 😊.

Stood for hundreds of years. Then was burnt to the ground and demolished by the foreigner it was sold to.

Sold 2 weeks ago. Application from locals goes to local council to give the Crooked House 'historic/protected' status. Rocks dumped blocking the narrow Lane to the pub. Fire breaks out. Fire brigade cannot reach the building in time, have to lay 40 lengths of hose pipe. Building burns but is not destroyed. Sunday morning diggers mysteriously appear and raise the Crooked House to the ground.... Giving the developer now the chance to build.. luxury flats?

Say it can’t be restored because trophy hunting happens & a lot of the bricks and other stuff was taken away from the site

The sounds a bit naf Arson it’s very strange that it’s never burnt down before . Sold burns down within few days

I'm glad that this has caused the national outrage that it has. Shows that people still care; except the property developers that is.

So sad...

Pretty disgusting behavior from the new owners

B'STARDS!

Whats happened to urbex drew channel?

Will Mayor Andy Street stay true to his word about rebuilding brick by brick?

Its not another building that's gone....its another piece of our "British" heritage gone. It won't be original... but the most defiant way to stick two fingers at those responsible is to rebuild the Pub to the exact same way with its faults & quirks...it'll be expensive but with will power & expertise it can be done.

They need jailing but I won't hold my breath.

Build a museum on the site and List It. Stop the investor parasites in building on it

Sadly it wasn't listed or if it was all evidence of it being listed has disappeared

The new owners burned it down

Whatever current owners build as a business should be boycotted especially by local population. The lane to the Crooked House was a disgraceful mess overgrown and fly tipping mounds plus the odd pothole. Won’t really matter what they build there now it won’t be a nice route to it. Only need to rebuild the original building if just to keep as a tourist attraction.

its loss is mysterious imo

Update; To be rebuilt !! ✌