The Crooked House

In the early morning of Sunday 6 August 2023 I walked along several public footpaths, through fields and woodland, leading me towards a smouldering building nestled in a valley.

The Crooked House in the village of Himley, South Staffordshire, was a secluded pub that had traded for 192 years until it was sold in July 2023 and 2 weeks later burned down on the evening of Saturday 5th August due to suspected arson.

I am a freelance news photographer and set off to capture the building, not knowing the local story would capture the World's interest into the history and controversy of the demise of "Britain's Wonkiest Pub".

The image I have submitted shows the smouldering building still standing before it was later demolished. A firefighters hose lies in the foreground, ready in case of any flare-ups.

The crooked house gained its name due to the land it was built on being affected as a result of 19th-century mining subsidence which caused one side of the building to be approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) lower than the other.