Angry villagers in England call for the quirky Crooked House pub to be rebuilt following demolition
Villagers in central England are fuming after one of Britain’s quirkiest pubs burned down and was reduced to rubble by a digger before a fire investigation was completed
LONDON — Villagers in central England are fuming after one of Britain's quirkiest pubs burned down and was reduced to rubble by a digger before a fire investigation was completed.
The local mayor has joined thirsty regulars from the 18th-century Crooked House pub in the village of Himley, 130 miles (210 kilometers) northwest of London, in pressing for a proper investigation into the events surrounding the pub’s destruction.
Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, said Wednesday that local authorities will “get to the truth” and that he will continue to “keep the pressure on for a rebuild” for a pub that was widely revered as ‘Britain’s wonkiest’ as a result of its slumping foundation and sloping walls.
On Saturday, two weeks after the subsidence-hit pub had been sold by pub and hotel operator Marston’s to a local firm, it suffered extensive damage as a result of a fire. Two days later, the building 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. The local South Staffordshire Council is investigating potential breaches of the law over the pub's demolition.
Long-time regular Paul Turner, who set up an online ‘Save The Crooked House’ petition last month that has attracted more than 13,000 signatures, said he was “absolutely devastated” by the pub's destruction and backed calls for a rebuild.
“I think the only possibility really is some sort of replica,” he said. “We need to do something, we can’t just lose it.”
The pub was originally
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