The Crooked House
| The Crooked House | |
|---|---|
 The Crooked House | |
  Location in Staffordshire | |
| Former names | Siden House, Glynne Arms |
| General information | |
| Type | Pub |
| Address |
The Crooked House Coppice Mill off Himley Road Himley Dudley South Staffordshire DY3 4DA |
| Coordinates | 52°30′54″N 2°09′07″W / 52.515°N 2.152°WCoordinates: 52°30′54″N 2°09′07″W / 52.515°N 2.152°W |
| Completed | 1765 |
| Opened | c. 1830 (as pub) |
| Owner | Crooked House (Himley) Limited[1] |
| Landlord | Wayne and Jason Penn[2] |
| Website | |
|
thecrooked-house | |
The Crooked House is a pub and restaurant in South Staffordshire, England.
Its name and distinctive appearance are the result of 19th century mining subsidence. One side of the building is now approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) lower than the other.
It stands in an isolated location close to Himley just off the B4176 road between Dudley and Telford, approximately three miles from the nearest town centres of Sedgley and Dudley. Although the entrance to the road leading to it lies within the metropolitan county of the West Midlands, The Crooked House itself is located just north of the boundary between Staffordshire and the West Midlands.
History
The Crooked House was built in 1765 and was originally a farmhouse. During the 1800s, mining in the area caused one side of the building to begin gradually sinking. It later (c. 1830) became a public house called the Siden House, siden meaning 'crooked' in the local Black Country dialect. The building was later renamed the Glynne Arms after the local landowner, Sir Stephen Glynne, on whose land it stood.[3]
The building was condemned as unsafe in the 1940s and was scheduled for demolition. Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries purchased the pub and rescued it by making the structure safe using buttresses and girders so as to retain its lopsided appearance.[3] The pub was briefly featured in episode 3 of the 1989 BBC adaptation of David Lodge's Nice Work.
Optical illusions
The building's leaning walls give rise to some optical illusions as with a gravity hill. These include glasses slowly sliding across 'level' tables and a marble appearing to roll uphill.[3]
References
- ↑ Companies House. "Crooked House (Himley) Limited - Overview". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Cardiff: Government Digital Service. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ↑ Young, Graham (9 July 2009). "The Crooked House, Coppice Mill, Himley Road, Himley". Birmingham Mail. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- 1 2 3 "History". thecrooked-house.co.uk. Crooked House (Himley) Limited. Retrieved 8 November 2017.