Latest news with #wonkiestpub
BBC News
03-08-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hope for Crooked House pub remains two years after fire
It was almost two years ago that the Crooked House pub was ravaged by famed 18th Century venue in Himley, near Dudley, was known as "Britain's wonkiest pub" due to its distinctive tilt. But the slant was lost when two days after flames gutted the building, the shell was demolished overnight. It was an unexpected levelling that angered the local community who were left to view rubble where history once stood. Or at least leaned. Staffordshire Police treated the blaze as arson and arrested six people in connection with the incident, releasing them on years on, campaigners continue to fight for the return - slant included - of what they dub the "most famous pub in the world". And until the Black Country icon is rebuilt, they say they will not give up. But what drives them on when only bricks remain? Campaigner Jennifer Allen had visited the pub since childhood and said it had meant "quite a lot" to many."As it was burnt down, I was one of the first ones down there, along with my elderly dad," she said."We've got family that live in Canada, Australia, and growing up as a child, whenever they visited, it was a place where we always used to take them."There was plenty to see. The slant - caused by subsidence linked to mining - created the illusion that coins, if dropped inside, appeared to roll "uphill".But for Ms Allen, the venue was more than that. "It was a special place from my childhood," she are the stakes, then. But how might the return happen? It's there where things remain less simple. in February last year, South Staffordshire Council served an enforcement notice on the pub's owners ATE Farms Limited, ordering them to restore the pub within three appeal against the move was lodged the following month by the owners, who had purchased the Crooked House from Marstons in July 2023. A public inquiry was then set to decide the outcome of the that inquiry has been to the council, the planning inspectorate accepted the owners' request for postponement and said it was preferable to deal with the appeal following any potential separate court action relating to the inspectorate noted, however, that the delay should not go on indefinitely, although a projected start date, from the council, of spring this year came and went without Allen, one of the moderators for the Save The Crooked House Facebook group, said people were disappointed with the the pause, she said, would not deter campaigners from the push to get the pub rebuilt "brick by brick". Whether it can - or should - be done, was the subject of this BBC article here. In the meantime, Ms Allen said: "We've all got a story about the Crooked House and what it meant to us."It's a historical building that we should have protected. So it does need to come back." South Staffordshire Council said it "remained committed" to resolving the matter and any further updates would be added on its website."We are still awaiting a decision from Staffordshire Police regarding their ongoing investigations," the authority added, "and any action by ourselves is held in abeyance until such time as their investigations are concluded." Paul Turner, from Wombourne near Wolverhampton, has been fighting for the pub to be rebuilt since the campaign said the Facebook group for that purpose had grown "massively" and now had more than 37,000 members from "all over the world"."We're not giving up at all," he said."The intention [is] to get it rebuilt. We owe it to people."Mr Turner said some observers remained cynical, but despite the delays, campaigners didn't intend to let their movement fizzle out."This is a marathon, not a sprint," he said. "This is something that is going to take a long time, the legal processes never happen quickly."We're confident that we can keep on going and get this done." The building, which emerged in 1765 as a farmhouse, had a children's play area and beer garden and was also used as a wedding gives Mr Turner hope the pub has the potential to become a tourist attraction if rebuilt, complete with a visitor centre and souvenirs."We're going to be in a situation where we could have an unbelievably successful tourist attraction," he said."I see it as being built."A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police said: "The six people that were arrested have been released from bail and are now released under investigation. "Our investigation is ongoing and a file has been submitted to the CPS." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New ‘wonkiest pub' in Brittan with 0-star food hygiene rating up for sale
BRITAIN'S newest 'wonkiest pub' has been put up for sale, throwing its future into doubt - just 18 months after being saved. Ian Riaar bought The Tilted Barrel in Tipton for £186,000 in November 2023, before splashing another £100,000 doing up the Grade II-listed boozer. However, the businessman has now put the 200-year-old pub back on the market - blaming difficult trading conditions for failing to turn its fortunes around. Customers are now concerned it could suffer a similar fate to The Crooked House five miles down the road, which was notoriously destroyed in August 2023. The Tilted Barrel took over the title of "Britain's wonkiest pub" when Mr Riaar bought the Victorian building three months after the suspected arson attack. He had hoped to turn his new bar into a similar tourist attraction to its counterpart, which attracted visitors from across the globe. Mr Riaar said: "I have done everything I can to make a go of the pub. "When I took it on it needed money invested to get it up and running again and I did that. "I have kept the price of a pint down to around £3 and we have a good regular trade, although we need more people to come and support us as well. But times are tough of course." The pub, which dates back to 1870 and is lopsided similar to the Crooked House due to mining subsidence, is on the market with estate agents Bond Wolfe for £299,000. Mr Riaar said he is 'open to keeping it running' and has recently addressed kitchen issues which saw the pub receive a hygiene rating of zero when inspectors visited in January. It rated the pub as needing major improvement in the three areas assessed: Hygienic food handling; Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building and Management of food safety. Mr Riaar says he is waiting for another visit and has now lost a contract with Uber Eats for people to order food from the pub. He added: "An essential part of the business was always going to be the food and we were doing okay until January when the hygiene inspectors came in and I admit there were issues with the kitchen. "But I have done the work which was identified, paid the fee for a rescore request but heard nothing back since and without that rating I can't keep the contract with Uber Eats which was providing much-needed income from outside the pub. "In the pub trade now food is everything and the business plan reflected that, but without help I am struggling to make enough money to keep going which is what I want to do as I took it over as a long-term project and have spent a lot on it." The listing on Bond Wolfe's website says: "The Tilted Barrel is a historic Grade II listed public house dating back to 1820. "Having recently been refurbished, it trades successfully as a bar and grill with excellent scope to enhance trade levels." A spokesperson for Sandwell Council said: "The business has recently (May 13) paid for a FHRS [food hygiene rating system] rescore request, which means it will receive a further unannounced inspection shortly (if still trading) and a new rating will be given based on the conditions found at that time. "The officer has three months in which to do the FHRS rescore." Words by Olivia Warburton, Ed Chatterton and Paul Jenkins
